Blood Thorns
by angelsfyre1
Summary: A possible spy is captured by the sons of Elrond just after the departure of the Fellowship. Is she truly a threat? That is what Glorfindel and the twins wish to discover. GlorfindelOC Rated M to be safe.
1. Arrival of Chaos

**Disclaimer: I own Nothing but my OC's and this story plot and an overweight mini-Koi. JRR owns all the good stuff. I make no money from this!**

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**A/N: This is a seperate story from my Hellfire series! I hope you enjoy the new story and as always feedback and suggestions are a welcome sight! **

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**Arrival of Chaos**

It was beginning to rain again. For the last four, or was it five days, the rain had come in spurts and sprinkles. Sighing Kestrel looked for shelter. Any old tree root or overhanging branches meshed together would be enough she knew, but it did not mean dreams of a roaring fire or soft warm bed with a roof overhead could be easily dismissed from her ever wandering thoughts. She had no idea where she was going or why she was here, but at least the pain and terror had passed. A tree root, raised above the ground, beckoned her to its sheltering depth. The trees here were so much smaller then those of her home, yet strangely familiar at the same time. Snuggling under the root, Kestrel drew out a small pouch of berries and nuts she had squirreled away religiously. Munching on only a handful, the girl put away the rest, for she knew not how long it would be before she found anything edible again. Leaning her head on the root after consuming her tiny meal, the girl's brown eyes lost focus and she drifted wearily into her dreamscape.

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The sun shone down upon the girl's sleeping form, drying the wet clothes she wore. Her bedraggled state testified to the past few weeks of wandering aimlessly through the chilly mountains. A snapping sound brought her to wakefulness and she tensed in fear. A sigh of relief left her lips as a deer walked past her amongst the trees. She had seen a few large groups of people, traveling a path that was off to her right, but they looked strange and spoke a language she could not understand. For some reason even in her dire straights, Kestrel felt it was unwise to approach them or draw attention to herself in this wilderness, alone and unarmed. She still had hope that she would instead find a city or town soon. She was following a river that flowed swiftly back the way she had already walked and was keeping the water constantly on her left hand side as a guide. She had nothing in which to carry water with her so felt it was safer to journey near the water and be able to quench her thirst, rather then venture farther in with no sure water source available. Gaining her feet and stretching out her aching muscles, Kestrel gently made her way down the river's bank for a quick wash and a long, deep quenching drink of cold water. 

After splashing the water on her face and arms, Kestrel was again ready to travel up the river to where ever it led. Eyeing the cloudless sky with a greatly relieved heart, the bedraggled female continued upriver holding out the very slim hope of finding a civilization of some sort that was at least partway familiar. Thankfully, with following the river, she did not feel like she was going in useless circles most of the time, like she had been feeling for most of the mountain trek. Counting to ten then to one hundred calmed her worried mind and eased her into the reality of this grim existence she found herself in at the moment. True she was not used to extravagance in her life, but solid walls, warm clothing, semi soft beds and hot meals she most definitely missed the most. Knowing the day was wearing on while she dawdled at the river's bank, Kestrel clambered up the bank and began to trudge along on her chosen path. With the sun shining brightly and the beautiful bird songs along the way, the road she walked was a more pleasant diversion then the rainy, dark version she had met the day before.

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Glorfindel raised his face to the sun enjoying the feel of its warmth on his skin. A light breeze tousled his hair, but his warrior braids kept the golden strands from interfering with his vision. It had been a long patrol this time. After nearly a month out in the field dealing with the ever increasing Orc problem around his beloved Imladris, Glorfindel was ready for a respite and his nice, soft, feather bed. With a sigh, the golden haired elf realized he would have to face an irate Erestor. The advisor had gotten way to smug about his strange collection of bugs, so Glorfindel had let loose more than a few lizards into the advisor's room; there by diminishing the bug population. Sometimes Erestor could be quite peculiar! The advisor was a complete and boorish tyrant when it came to his work as Lord Elrond's chief advisor as well as the sanctity of the library's well tended array of reading material. He was quick witted, scholarly, over excitable, demanding and yet strangely childish when it came to his own personal affairs and projects. All in all, Erestor was a hard puzzle to figure out, but Glorfindel enjoyed the challenge most of the time. 

This new fascination with bugs the advisor had was just eerie. Glorfindel thought back to his first glimpse of Erestor's menagerie of insects with a shudder. Bugs were most definitely not high on Glorfindel's list of pleasant things and after the completed grand tour of Erestor's creepy collection, the bugs dropped quite a few places further down on the good things list. The baby Mirkwood spider that Erestor had asked Legolas to bring was truly the last straw! Baby it might have been before the lizards ate it, but that exact baby was as big as an elf's head and continued to grow every time someone blinked. Glorfindel actually felt bad about decimating the advisor's bug collection off and on, but if he could do things differently, he would have left an apology attached to one of the lizards. Stepping foot inside with that blasted spider was something he would never do again, without being fully armed! Sighing at the sight of Imladris' gates ahead, Glorfindel wondered how long it would take for Erestor to speak with him again. Knowing the advisor as well as he did, it could be months!

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Kestrel stared hard at the fish that swam lazily in the small pool created by an outcropping of rocks. She wished that the blasted thing would hop out of the water and sacrifice itself to her rumbling stomach, but she knew this to be a foolish thought. The lack of adequate tools and weapons had made this journey so much harder then it should have been. A strange smell brought her out of her musings and made the hair on her neck stand tall. She knew that particular scent and it nearly made her gag in revulsion. Never again would she be caught off guard by those things! Whirling away from the water, Kestrel made her way quietly to a nearby stand of trees. Gingerly gathering her dress around her hips, the girl climbed up as high and as quickly as she could. The dress hampered her movements quite a bit, but she was finally settled on a thick tree branch amid the foliage. Breathing as lightly as she could manage, she awaited the danger's approach with trepidation. These creatures were stronger and even more vile then anything she had known prior to her journey. The horrible guttural speech made her head hurt and the smell alone was enough to make her scream for mercy. She knew from experience that there was no mercy in these beasts; only destruction and hate, so she fled into her mind. 

Blurred memories raced through her mind at lightning speed, but she stayed as still as stone. Fortunately for Kestrel, they bypassed her location without sensing her. It was probably more due to the fact that the leaders were arguing, then any skill at hiding she possessed. It took three hours for her to phase back into the real world and leave the jumbled dreamscape she had been caught in. Sighing in relief, Kestrel eased her stiff muscles loose enough for her to climb down the tree without falling. She was surprised that the creatures had not found her hiding spot and gave thanks, to whichever Valar it was, that had been looking out for her. She just hoped her luck held out! How she had survived so far was a mystery to her, but she would not begrudge the gift of life she had been given. With a deep sigh, Kestrel began another tedious walk, but was careful now to listen more closely to the world around her.

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Ducking again as another projectile hit the wall, where his head had just been, Glorfindel contemplated how soon he could escape back to the border watch; so as to escape the wrath of Erestor. He had to admit to himself that Erestor was quite intriguing, when in this state of absolute uncontrolled fury. Glorfindel had learned many new and imaginative curses over the years and in several languages due to Erestor's temper fits. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, the famed Balrog slayer missed the flying vase that an irate chief advisor launched at his head. Luckily for Glorfindel, Erestor's aim was off and it slammed into the wall above his shoulder. Covered in the splintered pieces of the vase and completely soaked, Glorfindel let out a low menacing growl that alerted Erestor that it now would be an excellent time to depart, as quickly as possible. With a deep huff of amusement, Glorfindel went to stalk his nemesis. Once the advisor's temper cooled, Erestor would become scarce until he was sure Glorfindel was not planning to retaliate. This had been happening since the first time the two had disagreed and Glorfindel figured they would still be doing it millennia from now. A slight grin crept over Glorfindel's face as he wondered how far Erestor was going to run this time. Making his way down the hallway that Erestor had just scampered along, Glorfindel let his mind wander to the paperwork he still needed to do.

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A week had gone by and the son's of Elrond were back from their duty patrol. Glorfindel leisurely strolled out into the courtyard to await the arrival of the patrol, as he needed to confer with the twins about the increase Orc activity. Hearing the sounds of hooves, Glorfindel smiled in anticipation. He had not seen the twins in almost four months as their patrols were rarely synchronized to allow the three to get together and just enjoy each other's company. Darkness pressed ever closer to the borders of the beautiful vale of Imladris, eliciting the need for greater vigilance and increased patrols to combat the growing threat. Shaking himself out of troubled thoughts, Glorfindel turned to face the returning twins with a huge delighted smile. Unfortunately the smile did not last long as the older elf spied a form tied tightly with rope and tossed in front of Elrond's oldest son, Elladan. 

It was hard to make out what the creature was from the coating of dried mud, twigs, leaves and what looked to be a combination of black and red blood. The tangled mop of hair obscured any hint of facial features and spiked around the female in wild abandon; at least Glorfindel believed the limp form was female given the remnants of the dress it was still wrapped in. Approaching Elladan's skittish mount, Glorfindel heard the younger twin, Elrohir, dispatching two of his patrol to the Last Homely House post haste. The first was sent to the house of healing to inform the healers a new prisoner had arrived and would be needing attention in the gray room. The second was sent to inform the house guards of an impending prisoner being brought to the gray room and to make sure all was prepared for the prisoner's incarceration. The two wardens broke into a fast run and disappeared into the building. Glorfindel held Elladan's mount still while the twin slid off his horse's back, dragged the limp bundle of dirty female off his horse, and threw her over his shoulder with a quick nod to Glorfindel as the twin stalked into the building with Glorfindel at his heels.


	2. Basic Instinct

**_Disclaimer:_** I own the giant, hideous mini-Koi, a possible spy, two bags of Fritos and JRR owns the good stuff!

_**A/N:** _

**_This in mind speech_**

**''This is visions''**

""**_This is thoughts ""_**

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**_To my Lovely Readers and Reviewers: THANK YOU!_**

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Basic Instinct

It was dark when Kestrel regained her senses. She found herself, not outside beneath the stars as she had expected, but in a bed with a soft mattress and warm blankets, in a building of some kind. Her befuddled mind tried to come to terms with the drastic change in scenery, but the pounding of mining Dwarves, drilling deeper into the recesses of her brain, made it difficult to accomplish. Closing her eyes against a sudden swirling of the solid walls, Kestrel tried to calm the ever increasing panic that threatened to overwhelm her. She was not dead, so that gave her an advantage. Being alive meant a slim hope of help or more importantly, opportunity to plan an escape attempt. Taking a deep stuttering breath, in through her nose and out through her mouth several times, slowed her racing pulse and helped to calm her shattering nerves.

Lying quietly, the girl took stock of her condition. Her body felt as if she had been beaten repeatedly, but then it had felt like that for awhile now. Kestrel was slightly shocked to realize that the pain was much less intense then it had been for the past few weeks. The stinging cuts she had gotten while walking among the tall grasses and sharp branches were no longer plaguing her. Her ribs which had been at first bruised, then finally broken, after a few sliding falls during her long mountain trek were bandaged and breathing deeply no longer hurt. She was grateful for the small relief, but did not hold out much hope that this was a sign of good will and safety. Kindness always came wrapped in demand and Kestrel had learned that lesson well. She had not asked for the kindness shown to her by the healing treatment, so was under no obligation to repay that kindness with cooperation of any sort. For all she knew, these people had only patched her up to prolong any interrogation they meant to put her through. It would not bode well if the prisoner was to die too early and leave questions unanswered. Kestrel would withhold her judgment of her captors until she met them face to face.

Sitting up slowly, to ward off more dizziness, the girl pushed back the warm coverlet and swung her legs off the side of the bed. A thick rug lay along the bed side, from footboard to headboard, in a combination of green, blue and black, while the rest of the floor seemed to be clear of any additional coverings. The walls were a dismal gray color with no windows in sight and a thick wooden door the only escape route. A small fire burned cheerfully, in a hearth that took up nearly half a wall by itself. The fire was the only available light source in the room. The flickering shadows that danced wildly against the gray wall were slightly eerie in the complete silence. Gingerly creeping to the door, Kestrel pulled the handle in vain. She had already figured the door would be locked, but it never hurt to try. Sighing in frustration, the girl walked over to the bed, picked up the rug and laid it in front of the fire.

Settling down quietly in the firelight, she ran over her options silently. **""Well the door is locked. No windows to be seen. No idea to whom this building belongs to. No idea where I am. I wonder if they will feed me first, before torturing me. It would be pleasant to have a hot meal, at least once more. Alright, enough gloom! At least I am warm, clean and my wounds have been tended to. Valar only knows when the last time I had soap was! I tried, but the damn stream could only do so much. The fact I do not smell any longer is a blessing in itself. I wonder how long I have been here already. Hours, days or even weeks could go by in this dark hovel and no one would mark the passing; unless told when the sun rose and set. I must hold on to my temper! If I seem fragile and weak they may take pity on me. Frightened females are harmless and quiet, so I must remember not to anger them; if I can avoid it. I wish I did not feel so tired. If only these damn dwarves would stop their mining! Ok, back to the bed, for awhile at least. The more rest I get, the better I will feel! The better I feel, the better I can plot a means of escape. "" **Standing once more, Kestrel replaced the rug in its original spot before crawling back under the wonderfully soft, warm and fantastically clean bedding: completely unaware of the eyes that watched her.

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Elrond frowned as he listened to the twins' account of the last few days. The female in the prisoner's chamber was a complication they could ill afford. They would need to question her thoroughly about who she was and where she was from. The only things they truly knew about their uninvited guest did not make sense. She was unmistakably female, she was elf kind and judging by the markings on her body, she was a servent of the Dark Lord. How an elf could be in league with such evil, was a mystery that Elrond had long ago given up trying to decipher. She was such a small creature, this female; even in the eyes of men. She was short, only around 5'6" tall, overly gaunt from malnutrition, and, after bathing her twice, had a waterfall of dark honey brown hair. Shaking out of his inner thoughts, Elrond turned his attention back to Elladan's report.

"We had come upon a band of twenty or so Orcs and proceeded to engage them in combat. We had four wounded, but luckily no fatalities this time. Not far from the Orcs location, we spied a shape lying on the ground beneath one of the trees. We circled the figure and was surprised to see an unconscious elleth. We thought she was a captive until we saw the markings on her upper arm. They were definitely not a normal sight on an elf and the few signs we could decipher, seemed evil in their intent. With the ring having left here not long ago and with the increase of dark forces pushing against our borders, Elrohir and I felt it best to bring her back with us. We can only hope to keep the Dark Lord ignorant of the rings where abouts for so long. This female is an unusual enough diversion that she may be of some use in gleaning information about the intentions of her vile lord and his puppet. We have her secured and under heavy guard in the gray room. She will have no opportunity to escape, though in the shape she was in I do not believe she will be much of a problem. She has several broken ribs, a great amount of minor scratches, some larger, deeper cuts that were beginning to become infected, lots of bruises of various sizes and she is undernourished. She was asleep still last I heard, but I left word for Glorfindel, Elrohir or myself to be informed as soon as she awakens. From the condition she was in, I doubt she will be up for hours. Now if you will excuse me Ada, I will take my leave of you so I may bathe and rest." The older twin said in a quietly somber voice.

Nodding his permission for Elladan to get cleaned up and rest, Elrond walked over to the wine table. He poured a generous amount of sweet red wine into a crystal glass that sparkled invitingly in the firelight, before settling comfortably in front of the blazing hearth to think over his oldest son's report. Sipping the wine slowly, the lord of Imladris mulled over the happenings since the ring bearer had departed. Orcs had increased in numbers and the frequency of their attacks had tripled. Goblins had been sighted up near the Wolven's den, but the Wolven sentinels had taken care to exterminate them all. The Wolven leader, Fury and her second in command, Shadow, had stopped by only a week past, with some of her people, to alert the Imlandris lord of the Goblin attack and pick up needed supplies for the clan.

Within the next three months, Fury would be heading to Lothlorien with Shadow. Fury had said it was part of an assignment that Gandalf had gifted her with long ago and it was now time to fulfill her oath. The addition of the Wolven to Imladris' security patrols had been a welcome, if hard won, agreement. Fury and Elladan still were hard pressed to stay civil with one another, but he knew it was due mostly to personal issues that they both denied existed. It was obvious what was between the Wolven leader and his oldest son; at least it was to everyone but them. With a sigh, Elrond stood and wandered to the terrace for a breathe of fresh air. He was sure that it would take quite awhile until he had all the information clear in his head. Settling back in place by the fire, the lord of Imladris watched the flickering flames, thought about the Orc and Goblin problems and slid deeply into exhausted, but unexpected, reverie. The healing done on the prisoner and the anxiety of worry over the Fellowship's success had drained Elrond's energy. He never felt the light blanket that Erestor placed over him, nor saw the other elf smile gently as Erestor slipped back out the door as quietly as he had come.


	3. Cat and Mice

**_Disclaimer:_** I own the giant, hideous mini-Koi, a possible spy, two bags of Fritos and JRR owns the good stuff!

_**A/N:** _

**_This in mind speech_**

**''This is visions''**

""**_This is thoughts ""_**

**_To my Lovely Readers and Reviewers: THANK YOU!_**

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Cat and Mice

The sound of a lock being thrown and a door banging against stone woke Kestrel from a sound reverie. Blinking her eyes back into focus, she was afraid that her mind was not working correctly. Squeezing her eyes shut, and then reopening them several times did not alleviate the problem. There were two! Identical in every way, from the long dark hair braided, in the fashion of warriors, that allowed their pointed ears to show to the huskier built and well muscled frames found normally within the realms of men to the identical scowls that graced their fair features. All in all, they were beautiful in a fierce and feral way.

Swallowing hard, the girl sat up warily, clutching the sheet tightly to her throat, as a flush rose to her cover her cheeks and ears. Trying hard to think how to react, Kestrel kept muttering silently, "act helpless," in the confines of her befuddled brain. Smelling hot food nearly made her whimper. It had been longer then she could remember, since the last hot thing she had enjoyed eating. If they let her eat in peace, she could go then to her doom happily. The sound of a voice broke through the almost hypnotic trance the sweet, gooey confection caused. The heavenly scent of cinnamon was overwhelming and Kestrel's self control was slipping badly. Dragging herself back to the reality of her situation, the hungry girl stared wide eyed at the identical warriors that were still frowning at her. Hearing the warrior repeat his comment more forcefully this time, she tried to make sense of exactly what was said. Her perplexed look must have registered, because one of the twins moved forward and handed her the plate of hot sticky cinnamon buns. Without even a second thought, Kestrel snatched the plate from his hand and proceeded to devour them as quickly as she could; in the event that they tried to take them back from her.

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Elrohir watched the young girl eating the buns as if she had not eaten in weeks. Judging by her condition upon arrival, the younger twin figured that was exactly the reason she was wolfing her food down. At least the girl was now looking and smelling much better, then when she arrived. The girl's bruising and cuts were healing well and she did seem relatively alert, but still slightly dazed. Her appetite seemed fine, though her manners and grace were sadly lacking. Her hair was a wild tangle of dark, honey brown and her eyes matched in a swirl of deep rich brown sprinkled with golden highlights. She was slightly built, but under eating had given her a sunken, overly gaunt appearance. She was shorter then most elves, or men and Elrohir figured her head would reach about shoulder height on him. The younger twin resisted the urge to smile as he watched her finish the food. She popped the last piece in her mouth then proceeded to run her fingers through the sweetened goop left on the plate, like a small child would.

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Licking the last of the gooey mess off her fingers, the girl became aware of the intense stares of the two males in the room. Flushing guiltily, Kestrel wiped her fingers on the sleeping gown and handed the plate to the same male that had given it to her, or at least she thought it was the same one. Watching the identical twins with a sense of unrestrained curiosity, she tried to fathom if she had ever heard of this unusual birth type happening before back home. A frown fluttered over her features when she realized she was not sure where home was exactly. She closed her eyes and concentrated on bringing a picture of home into focus. There were lots of big trees and, sadly she knew, that darkness was a continual, heavy presence beneath the trees. The feeling of danger lurked in her mind when she tried to conjure a picture of home. She began to panic again. She knew her name was Kestrel. She was named for the small raptors that were sometimes used as hunters and message bringers. She tried to think of family, but the only image she could get was a large bonfire with lots of elves twirling to the erratic beat of music and the feeling of intense pain radiating from her back and arms. Unconsciously Kestrel rubbed her arms where she had felt the pain in the memory; something about that image was extremely vital. She should know about the pain and that place where the music called to her soul, but her mind refused to show her anymore. The blankness frightened her, even more then being captured by the strange oddities standing before her. Turning wide terrified eyes towards the elf twins, Kestrel's sheer panic took hold.

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Elladan observed the girl as his twin offered her the food. She had appeared not to have heard a single word either elf had spoken and was completely mesmerized by the sight of the cinnamon confection. She had taken the plate warily at first, but her hunger overrode her caution. Though she was definitely of elf kind, she seemed quite young and innocent. The older twin figured she was only a few hundred years past her majority, yet there was a nagging feeling he was missing something crucial. He scanned her face as she ate and nearly laughed at the total bliss that gripped her features at every bite. A part of him felt sorry for this small elleth, but a larger, more cynical piece of him wondered at the coincidence of her arrival, which came so close to the Fellowship's departure. The enemy had many spies and the twin knew well that appearances could be decieving. Elladan decided he would withhold judgment, until they had gotten the elleth to talk.

It was the markings that worried him most, as Elves did not mar their bodies in such a way. It was not only her upper arms that bore the Dark Lord's symbols, but across her back, over her heart and around her navel as well. The application of such detailed work must have been extremely painful to endure. The application process had to have taken weeks to do, even if more then one person worked on the patterns. The twins had gotten a decent look at some of the symbols when they helped the healer care for the unconscious elleth, but a more in depth study would have to be made, so they could hopefully decipher what dark meaning they invoked. If it had not been for the markings and the timing of her arrival, the twins would have had her placed in one of the guest suites. Dangerous times called for caution, so they had instead incarcerated her in the most secure room available. When all of their questions were fully answered, then they would treat her accordingly. If she was innocent of wrong doing then the older twin would apologize, and beg her forgiveness. If the elleth refused to answer their questions, was uncooperative in any way or they uncovered any signs of malice or danger, then she could rot in the gray room until the Dark Lord and his minions were defeated!

Elladan looked to Elrohir when the elleth's eyes went out of focus, as she furrowed her forehead in concentration. Staring off into nothingness, she looked slightly haunted. Emotions swirled in her eyes as she looked at the unseen gray walls of the holding cell. Confusion, pain, uncertainty and panic all marched through her eyes until focus returned and the small female looked to the twins with a look of absolute horror. Something was wrong with her, but the twins could not fathom the cause. The look held a depth of panic and terror that sent chills down their spines. She began shaking her head again and again in protest, of whatever thought had crowded into her mind. Her body trembled in shock and fear as the twins watched closely. Without a sound, the elleth drew her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around herself tightly. Tears streamed unheeded down her cheeks and she dropped her head to conceal her face in the folds of the coverlet.

The twins quirked eyebrows at each other in confusion, before returning their gazes to the huddled figure. She made no sound, at all, to alert them of her pain, but her pose screamed of her complete misery. Elrohir, taking pity on the hurting female, slowly walked over to the edge of the bed and sat down, as he reached out a hand to comfort her. The elleth felt the brush of his hand and the dip of the bed as he sat. She drew away from the touch as if it burned. Scuttling as far away as she could get, the girl stared at the twin in a mixture of fear and anger. As he tentatively reached out again, the girl tried to bite his hand, as she pressed herself back against the wall by the head of the bed with wary eyes. Deciding to let her alone, Elrohir rose once more and returned to his place by his twin's side. Nodding at each other in perfect understanding, the two turned on their heels and left the room to Kestrel's great relief. She needed time to come to terms with her new found discovery.

Of all the things she had dealt with so far, memory loss had not even entered her head.


	4. Dangerous Dreams

**_Disclaimer:_** I own the giant, hideous mini-Koi, a possible spy, two bags of Fritos and JRR owns the good stuff!

_**A/N:** _

**_This in mind speech_**

**''This is visions''**

""**_This is thoughts ""_**

_"This is normal conversation"_

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**_To my Lovely Readers and Reviewers: THANK YOU!_**

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Dangerous Dreams

It had been two days, since Kestrel had discovered the problem with her memories. Not all of them had been lost, but the ones she remembered were jumbled together in a swirl of places, things and faces she could not identify. Night terrors woke her three or four times a night now. The horrifying scenes playing out deep within her subconscious mind, made rest nearly impossible. The hideous smell of death permeated the air. The stickiness of blood that clung to skin like a leech; both black and more often, red. The screams of pain that bounced around the inside of her head, as if the sound could escape its tormentor, made her cold inside. The worst came when a picture floated out of the darkness of her mind. It was a scene of such horror, that it made Kestrel vomit in the corner of her room in helpless misery. She could see herself in the reflection of a shimmering pool of thermally heated water bubbling up from an unknown hot spring. She was naked, covered in dripping red blood and other unidentifiable substances, but instead of looking afraid or horrified, Kestrel saw a vile look of intense satisfaction on her own face. It was this small smirk that graced her lips, that made her stomach heave its contents into the small bucket in the far corner of her room. Only a true monster could feel smug covered in gore and death. Kestrel prayed to the Valar that the scenes she remembered were nothing, but fevered dreams made up out of her fear and uncertainty. She did not want to think that the capabilities for such wanton destruction could be normal for her.

Curled up again in front of the blazing fire, Kestrel hugged her knees to her chest for the second time that night and tried to rock the haunting picture into oblivion. She issued no sound, after the initial vomiting, to alert the guards to her tortured state. She knew they watched her closely and sent word to the strange twins, but the identical elves had given up on trying to sooth her fears. They had tried to question her repeatedly over the last few days. When they had asked if she would be willing to talk freely and tell them the reason for her being in their realm, Kestrel's only answer was a negative shake of her head and brown eyes that stared holes in the floor of the gray room. The twins' patience had run out with the elleth's refusal to answer, so now the only people she saw were guards at meal times and the twins during questioning. She was grateful they still fed her and that the supply of fuel for her fire was in abundance, but the loneliness wore on her already battered soul. Taking a deep cleansing breath, Kestrel dragged herself back to the bed and tried again to find rest within her troubled reverie.

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Elladan and Glorfindel were in a heated game of chess, when one of the two warriors that stood guard outside the prisoner's room came to report on the elleth's condition. Elladan heaved a sigh at the sight of the guard and braced himself for another telling of the prisoner's restless slumber. Turning to Glorfindel, Elladan spoke softly, _"It seems our prisoner is once again being subjected to night terrors; if the guard's face is any indication. It has been this way for days now, but she will not cooperate with us. Her attitude leaves us no room for mercy. I dislike being cruel to females, but this small elleth will speak nary a word to anyone. I had hoped that we could break her silence, but the way it is going, she may spend eternity locked away due to her stubbornness."_ Glorfindel could only nod in sympathy of Elladan's frustration with the whole situation. He knew the twin would allow no harm to come to the elleth, but the twin would definitely keep her locked away until the time she gave a detailed reason for being within Imladris' borders.

The Balrog slayer listened half-heartedly to the conversation between Elladan and the guard. He was curious why this female would not help herself. All that was needed was a plausible explanation and then she could enjoy the comfort and freedom of Imladris without fear. Stubborn, the twin had said, but Glorfindel wondered if it was something more. Making his mind up to visit the prisoner in the early afternoon and possibly bring Erestor as well, the slayer turned back to the chess board and tried to figure out a strategy to squash the older twin's hopes of winning for good. A brilliant smile lit his face, as a crafty gleam twinkled in the depths of his sea blue eyes. Four more moves and Elladan was Warg meat! A sense of peace invaded Elrond's study once more, as the guard left to go back to his assigned duties.

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Glorfindel whistled softly as he walked briskly towards the Last Homely House. He had finally gotten his work done, but it was well after the midday meal, so had eaten with the other warriors in the barracks. It was slipping into that time of day when the sun was still warm, but the extreme brightness was just beginning to fade. Not quite twilight, but definitely not midday. It had always been a favorite time of day for the golden haired elf; when the crickets began slowly waking up to sing their delightful songs and the breeze began to chill ever so slightly. Mounting the steps quickly, the seneschal decided it would be the perfect time to visit their reluctant prisoner; who was still housed securely in the gray room. Glorfindel took the time to ponder all the reasons that he had thought up, that could have a bearing, as to why the prisoner would want to be uncooperative when questioned. Being a spy for the evil Dark Lord was the first thought he had. If she did indeed having the distinctive markings of the evil Dark One, then it was a strong possibility, but there might be a few other very good reasons as well. Frowning Glorfindel began turning ideas over in his head as he continued through the complex twists and turns of the hallways.

""**_Maybe she does not speak the language? Though that is very unlikely, as she is Elf kind, but there are ways to test that theory in a subtle manner! Maybe it is just an issue of trust. She is frightened and does not know us, so therefore we could be considered dangerous; except that she has been treated with kindness and still refuses to talk. I wonder what would be the best way to approach this elleth? ""_** Sighing as he rounded the corner of the hallway that ended at the gray room's door, Glorfindel decided to do what he did best … improvise. Nodding to the guards as he approached, the seneschal waved his hand for the guard to open the door, without making any comments or asking any questions. Walking into the room, he heard the lock slip back into place. The fire was merrily blazing in the hearth, but no other light was lit. The gloom of the place made him shudder slightly. Being an Elf, he hated dark, closed, dingy places and the gray room was much too closed and dark for his peace of mind, even with the fire.

Taking in the sleeping form of the elleth cuddled under her warm coverlet, Glorfindel moved closer to the bed and quietly retrieved the rug at its side. Laying the rug next to the fire, the elf dropped gracefully down upon it, crossed legged. Placing his back against the side of the stone hearth, Glorfindel settled in, with a book he had brought, to await the elleth's return from her dream filled reverie. After almost an hour, the elf's attention was captured by the restless motion of the sleeping elleth. Her head tossed violently. Her limbs shifted in distress. Watching her intensely, Glorfindel waited patiently for her return to full wakefulness. Less then fifteen minutes after the elleth began her restless tossing, she shot upright in a tangle of twisted sheets and terrified brown eyes. He observed the brave way she fought back her panic, with deep cleansing breaths and hastily closed eyes. Curiosity plagued the seneschal, as he continued to contemplate the female in the tangled bed. Glorfindel wondered at the dreams that made the small elleth so completely terrified upon waking. He promised himself that all his questions would be answered weather or not she wished to answer them!

* * *

Kestrel's eyes slammed back into focus as panic set into her soul and jerked her bolt upright in her bed, still wrapped in a tangle of sweaty sheets. The night terror slowly slid back behind the curtain her mind had erected to help keep her sanity intact. It was one of the lesser scenes, so it was easier to push away then most of the dreams, as reality broke through the fog of sleep. Breathing heavily, Kestrel closed her eyes tight while she thought of feeling the sun on her face and tree bark beneath her palms. She missed those things the most, when she awoke to the darkened room and no amount of flame could light her soul like the sight of the sun and the distinctive smell of the forest. As she took a few deep breaths to calm her fears, Kestrel became aware of a presence that had not been there when she had fallen asleep. Fighting her instinctive reaction of flight, the elleth pretended that she was still ignorant of the intruder in her room and continued with her breathing. Mind racing quickly over her options, the elleth decide her best bet would be to play the shy, surprised innocent and opened her eyes acting as if she were still alone.

The act of surprised shock turned real, as she took in the strange elf sitting, on her rug. beside the fire. His long hair gleamed gold in the firelight held back from his face by intricate braids, while deep blue eyes, the color of Autumn skies, watched her with an unnerving intensity. He lounged comfortably against the hearth, with a now discarded book cradled in his lap. The elf was outfitted in the same sort of clothing that the other twin elves had been dressed in, on their last visit to interrogate her. Kestrel quickly decided it must be the normal uniform for all of the warriors; as the guards were similarly attired. As with all the elves she had seen, this new ellon looked young, virile and handsome, yet the way the warrior's intense gaze was drilling into her very soul betrayed the truth of his advanced years. Judging by the intelligence, curiosity and calm reflected in his gaze, Kestrel estimated the blond warrior's age to be around three thousand, but quite possibly older. There was a level of confidence that many of the guards lacked and it was that air of command that worried her.

""**_Have they now sent in a more seasoned warrior to question me? I have most definitely tried the twins' endurance past the breaking point and now they are sending a much less tolerant investigator to drag the truth from me! Well I did not believe I would be able to get away with my silence much longer, but I had hoped for a few days more, at least. The twins must be in a great hurry, to get from me, whatever information they believe I possess. I truly hope this new warrior will not be too disappointed, when I do not talk to him either. As if I would give him the satisfaction of an explanation, after being thrown into what must be their version of a dungeon. That this golden haired warrior has been in the room watching me sleep, for who knows how long, is eerie! Normally I would have felt his presence; long before I did today. Why has he not asked me any questions yet? This annoyingly silent elf is making me nervous, but there is nothing that I can do about it. Wait and see, is the only answer to this horrible new dilemma! Damn! I wish he would start talking before I do something stupid, like lose my temper. ""_** The elleth nervously thought to herself as she met the elf's penetrating gaze with a wary one of her own. **_""Alright elf, let the mind games commence! ""_**


	5. Explinations are Expected

**_Disclaimer:_** I own the giant, hideous mini-Koi, a possible spy, two bags of Fritos and JRR owns the good stuff!

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_**A/N:** _

_** This in mind speech **_

** ''This is visions'' **

** _""This is thoughts ""_**

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**_To my Lovely Readers and Reviewers: THANK YOU!_**

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**_ Explanations are Expected _**

The time seemed to creep along at a snail's pace for both elves. Kestrel fought to keep eye contact with the golden warrior seated by her fire. He spoke not a word; just stared into her eyes like he was trying to reach her soul. It was incredibly unnerving to sit under such intensity, but Kestrel could be more stubborn then a Dwarf after a Mithril vein. He wanted answers, she knew, but the warrior could sit there for all eternity and still she would not speak to him. The only movements in the room were their eyelashes as they blinked and their chests rising and falling, as they drew and released their breath. Not a twitch. Not a squirm. Complete and utter stillness.

* * *

After a three hour staring contest, Glorfindel was becoming bored. This slightly built female was mule-headed stubborn, but he kind of liked the fact she held her ground so well. He knew warriors in his ranks that would have readily succumbed, in less then ten minutes, under such circumstances. He had observed her slow easy breathing and bland stare turn, inch by inch, into faster breaths and occasional honey colored sparks dancing through her eyes. He was getting to her at last! Careful to keep the triumph out of his eyes and posture, Glorfindel shifted into a more comfortable position against the hearth still observing the elleth. The seneschal almost forgot to keep his bland composure and stifled a smirk, as a look of sudden triumph blazed in her honey colored eyes, for a split second, before settling back into the normal calm stare. This small crack in her demeanor told him one thing… she had spirit.

Finally deciding to test her strength of will, Glorfindel spoke suddenly into the quiet room. _"Well young one, it seems we have a problem that needs to be resolved. I need to know who you are, what your reasons are for being here in Imladris, why you have been stubborn in your refusal to cooperate with the Sons of Elrond and then, only then, will I think about changing your accommodations to somewhere more pleasant then this room. What say you?" _he said in a soft even voice in Sindarin; awaiting her reactions to the language and his demands.

The elleth showed no response at all, so Glorfindel decided to test her knowledge of Sindarin in a most effective and sneaky manner. _"I should have figured you for an uneducated Orc when you refused to talk to the twins, but I stupidly gave you a chance to show your breeding. Unfortunately, my low expectations were well founded."_ Glorfindel spoke in the same soft even tone he had used the first time and was pleased to see yellow flames erupting within the depths of her honey brown eyes.

"**_So young one you do understand our language! You have a temper too, though you hide it well. How long will it take to raise your ire beyond endurance and you are unable to hold your tongue still? I wonder what else you hide behind those beautiful eyes of yours, humm? This shall be fun, as I truly love a challenge!"_** the seneschal thought with a barely concealed smirk. Coming to a decision, Glorfindel stood in a swift, graceful move that drew the elleth's eyes to his muscular frame. Leaving his book by the hearth on purpose, Glorfindel walked to the door and ordered the guards to open. Without a backward glance, the golden warrior left the annoyed elleth to her own thoughts. The big grin the seneschal tossed over his shoulder, as he bade the warriors to guard her carefully and announced his plans to return later that evening, was a far cry from the solemn face he had shown the elleth. Whistling another song as he walked down the corridor, Glorfindel planned his next move and made his way happily to Erestor's office.

* * *

"**_I will not give into the temptation! That thing can stay there in that spot, until Sauron becomes a Dwarven female! Damn that forgetful ellon! This just may be a new form of torture and I refuse to surrender myself to it willingly! Oh for Valar's sake it is a book, not a servant of evil. What harm could there be in just reading a few pages? It is not as if anyone would see me reading it. It would be, but a small distraction, from this boredom that I am forced to endure in this grand pit of Mordor. What am I thinking? That would be giving in and I refuse to give in!"_** Kestrel argued silently with herself. The loneliness was taking its toll on her heart and soul. The gloom had made her depressed and on edge, to the point where she was fighting herself over a small tome of Elvish poetry. The stupidity of the situation was not lost on the elleth, but the longer she was held in the dim gray room, the worse her symptoms became.

The new warrior had not helped things in the least. First, the golden warrior had just stared at her, as if waiting for her skin to fall off and reveal all her inner most thoughts. Secondly, that calm, arrogant and annoying ellon had the utter gall to ridicule her intelligence to her face. Lastly, he had left behind the damn book, which, unfortunately, she remembered was one of her favorite poets in the whole of Arda. As if that were not more than enough to push her over the edge of reason, the silent ellon just had to have stunning facial features and the virle, hard, muscular frame of a seasoned warrior. That the ellon's outward appearance had become a definite distraction, also did nothing to appease her growing ire. That male was the enemy! Drooling over the enemy, was unacceptable and a very, very bad thing to do! Kestrel was determined not to let her base instincts rule her!

Growling in frustration, Kestrel stalked to the wall farthest from the door and let her pent up fury out upon the gray stones holding her captive. The elleth's closed fists hit the cold stone wall with a sickening thud of rage. Over and over the elleth belted the stone, until her strength and anger were spent. Sliding to the floor, Kestrel took stock of the damage she had done to her hands. She cringed at the sight of the raw, shredded flesh and the bloodied wall at her back. Her temper was her weakness, Kestrel knew, but she had never truly mastered how to control it. Once completely lost to reason physical pain or exhaustion were the only way to bank the fire of her burning rage. It was one of the small things she did remember about herself, but it was not a memory she was pleased to have. Curling into a small ball of misery, Kestrel drifted off into a light reverie.

* * *

As was usual for the chief advisor, Erestor had skipped the evening meal to work on the giant multitudes of paper that he felt needed to be completed by morning. Erestor stopped momentarily and looked up, from the slow, dwindling mounds of paper stacked neatly into piles on his desk. The advisor had heard the door to his office open, on its nearly silent hinges and guessed it was his best friend, Glorfindel. The seneschal had probably come to bring him a snack; before beginning his normal nightly lecture, on how too much hard work was making the advisor overly thin even by Elf standards. Glorfindel came in precariously balancing a tray of sandwiches, fruits, and two generous slices of berry pie, Erestor quickly made room on his desk so the seneschal could put down the heavy food tray. With no more then a few quick words of greeting, the two friends began devouring the feast.

Erestor noticed the distracted way Glorfindel was eating. Normally his friend would be ravenously eating non stop, until nothing was left, but tonight the warrior was delicately nibbling on his food; even stuttering to a halt before taking a bite at times. His curiosity aroused, the advisor cleared his throat a few times, to get his friend's attention, _"Alright Fin, what seems to be on your mind? It must be something quite troubling for you to be off your food, as you eat like a starving warg most of the time. Can I be of assistance to you somehow?"_ Watching his friend closely, Erestor noticed that the warrior was more than slightly embarrassed by being caught so easily off guard. A smirk flitted across the advisor's lips at the slight flush that crept up his friend's face and ears. The reaction made Erestor think the problem was of a personal nature, so the advisor sat back with his glass of sweet wine, to await the telling of what he was sure to be an interesting tale.

* * *

To Kestrel's complete horror and personal disgust, the book had won the battle! She now sat curled up on the rug, next to her well fueled fire, pouring over the beautiful script that had been captured in the leather bound tome. She had been thoroughly pleased, as well as grudgingly impressed, to see that the annoying warrior was actually reading the complex text in its original language and not the more widely read, yet watered down version that had been translated into Sindarin. She had read both versions of the poetry, but much of the emotional impact did not translate well into the less poetic Sindarin. The elleth knew it had been a lost skirmish, when she awoke to find the book still sitting so temptingly in its spot by the hearth. The urge to read the exceptional poetry again, somehow overcame her stubbornness and pride. Silent tears streaked slowly down her cheeks, as she lost herself in the beautiful, yet tragic, images that the book brought to her troubled mind. It was a small pleasure, but she was grateful for it anyway.

* * *

Glorfindel made his way back to the gray room with a mischievous smile, a drawing pad and a set of charcoals. A new plan of attack had been forming in his mind since he had left the prisoner. The seneschal had been informed, as requested, that the elleth was indeed reading the tome and by her emotional reaction, she could read it fluently. Glorfindel had decided to wait out the elleth's stubbornness this time, as well as annoy her, to no end, with his utter silence. Stopping at the large wooden door to the gray room, Glorfindel spoke with the two guards on duty and informed them of his plan.

A deep creak alerted the prisoner that she was about to get an unwanted visitor. Refusing to move or look away from the wall she was contemplating with great intensity, Kestrel ignored the new arrival with relish. She had placed the book back exactly as she had found it. She knew that the elf would never know of her weakness regarding the book and for that she was happy. After she had finished reading the book, the elleth had decided that she would rot in the bowels of Mordor, before she acknowledged the golden warrior in any way. This plan seemed to be working in her favor, as she heard the elf settle down by the fire, close to the same spot as the last time. She quietly waited for the warrior to speak first, but the elleth had not expected the wait to be so damn long! Kestrel squirmed inwardly, as she waited for him to break the ever increasing silence, but the warrior still made no move to communicate with Kestrel.

Now she was confused!


	6. Flagrant Disregard of Stubborn Pride

**_Disclaimer:_** I own the giant, hideous mini-Koi, a possible spy, two pycho kitties, a lollypop and JRR owns the good stuff!

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_**A/N:** _

**_This in mind speech_**

**''This is visions''**

""**_This is thoughts ""_**

_This is written words_

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A/N 2: Sorry it was so short but I loved where I ended it! Next chapter is already partway done and should be posted by Monday. The outline for the next few chapters is already done so the chapters should flow and post pretty fast! Moonfire's next chapter almost finished and will be up this weekend!

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**_To my Lovely Readers and Reviewers: THANK YOU!_**

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**_Flagrant Disregard of Stubborn Pride _**

The scratching was going to drive her into the hands of Mandos, if the damnable elf would not stop his blasted scribbling! How much longer could that annoying warrior sit there and do whatever it was that he was doing? Kestrel did not know which was worse, that she could only hear what he was doing or that he was staying so silent. Fidgeting again, the elleth fought the urge to turn around and glare at the elf, who had happily taken up residence by her fireplace. She had no idea exactly how long the warrior had been there, but by the feel of her numb butt it had to be a few hours at least. She wished he would leave so she could get up and stretch, but pride kept her eyes firmly fixed on the very boring gray wall in front of her.

* * *

Glorfindel tossed another amused look at the thoroughly annoyed elleth, who was still stubbornly staring at the wall. He had to give her credit for sheer tenacity. They had been sitting in the overwhelming silence for nearly four hours and she was just now starting to get excessively restless. The restlessness had started with a tiny shifting motion of her legs, and then it had progressed over the last hour to the gradual shifting of her whole body. The seneschal figured it would not be much longer, before she gave in to the curiosity and tried to find out what he was doing. Putting a little more shading into the picture he was drawing of the dismal room, Glorfindel smirked in triumph as the elleth swung around to face him and sent a heated glare his way. Blandly looking up to meet the fiery gaze, the warrior nodded once at the elleth and returned his eyes to the picture.

* * *

Kestrel opened and closed her mouth several times in shock. She finally acknowledged his presence and all he did was nod! That elf had been insulting and Kestrel had had quite enough of his antics! Standing up with some difficulty, the now enraged female stormed over to the drawing elf with only a slight limp. Reaching Glorfindel's spot by the fire, Kestrel glared down at him with her hands on her hips and a foot that tapped out a nasty rhythm in her anger. She did not know which would be better to do, hit him over the head with his sketch book or throw him into the wall. Both options sounded pretty good to the irate elleth, but she refrained from actually trying either. The warrior was much taller and stronger, so she would not stand a chance in a physical fight. Common sense flew out the window, when the ellon stared up at her with twinkling blue eyes and cocked an inquiring eyebrow in her direction.

Stupidity suddenly inhabited the elleth's, now less then intelligent, brain and made a mockery of her precious self control. Grabbing the pad from his hands with a vicious jerk, Kestrel bared her teeth at Glorfindel as she chucked his book towards the wooden door. Stamping her foot angrily, she leaned over and poked the elf in the center of his muscular chest, and then she turned and pointed forcefully towards the door. Her eyes turned nearly black in her fury, as the delighted laugh Glorfindel let out, echoed around the room. Kestrel could not believe the nerve of the elf! The stupid ellon could not take a hint when it hit him in the chest! Muttering wordlessly, while gesturing wildly with her hands, Kestrel kept glaring at the seneschal before shaking her head in disgust. The elleth began to pace violently back and forth between the hearth, the door, the bed and back to the hearth to start all over again.

* * *

The frazzled female was so worked up, that Glorfindel was afraid she was going to try and do bodily harm to him; not that she would get much of a chance. He was rather surprised at the depth of her temper, but was amused that the small female would actually demand his immediate departure; even if it was silently done. The seneschal was sure she would break her silence, but she had just enough self control, it seemed, not to utter a single sound. That was pure stubbornness on her part, but Glorfindel did not think that would last much longer. Walking purposefully over to the door, the warrior picked up his sketch pad and walked back over to where he had been sitting, as the elleth watched with blazing eyes. Dropping the pad next to his supply of charcoal, a very amused Glorfindel turned and stalked over to the prisoner. With a confident stride that had Kestrel backing up a couple paces, the ellon frowned down at the small elleth, _"I do not tolerate rude behavior from anyone, especially uncooperative elflings, such as yourself! You will tell me your name right now or I will put you over my knee and treat you like the elfling you are acting like at the moment!"_

The menace in his tone made Kestrel realize she had pushed him a bit too far and the damned warrior meant every word he spoke. With a sigh, the elleth ran her options through her head and came to a very hard decision. Walking over to where the ellon had dropped the sketch pad, Kestrel reached down grasping both the pad and a piece of charcoal, before turning back to Glorfindel with a nasty looking frown. Stalking back to the thoroughly irritating warrior with a unrestrained and decidedly petulant snarl on her lips. The irate female walked around behind the seneschal and leaned the pad against his back, while she scribbled on it. When she was done, the elleth slapped both pieces into his hand and stormed over to her bed flopping down upon it; face first.

Glorfindel blinked in startled surprise at the female's weird antics. The sudden change in attitude told him, that he had pushed her to the limits of her endurance for the day and it was time to let her stew in her own thoughts for awhile. Looking down he was pleased to see in scrawling feminine script the words, _My name is Kestrel, but I still __will not speak to you, so be gone spawn of Morgoth!_ A small smile creeped across his handsome face at the brashness of her reply, thinking this very small but hard won, victory was enough for the day the seneschal placed the pad back next to the charcoal on the floor and walked sedately to the wooden door. Upon reaching the door, he knocked lightly and bade the guards to open. As he made to step through the door he called out softly to the figure lying prone on the bed, _"Good evening Kestrel, I hope you will sleep well. I will see you on the morrow and I will expect more cooperation then I have gotten so far."_

A pillow thrown at his head was Glorfindel's only answer!


	7. Ground Rules

**_Disclaimer:_** I own the giant, hideous mini-Koi, a possible spy, a toasted bagel while JRR owns the good stuff!

_**A/N:** _

**_This in mind speech_**

**''This is visions''**

""**_This is thoughts ""_**

_This is written words_

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**_To my Lovely Readers and Reviewers: THANK YOU!_**

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Ground Rules

Glorfindel snuggled deeper into his nice warm blankets, submerged in the Elvish dreamscape of reverie. He had been exceedingly pleased with the amount of progress he was making, with the small elleth locked securely in the gray room. The seneschal was impatient for dawn's break; so he could gloat over the stunned expressions of Elrond and the twins, when he explained to them, quite thoroughly, what information he had ferreted out after only two visits and how this feat had been accomplished. Both the twins were going to be perturbed, that they had wasted so much of their valuable time interrogating the prisoner and had gotten absolutely no useful information out of the stubborn elleth.

Glorfindel now knew the prisoner's name, that she could understand spoken Sindarin, and was able to read, the less used, Quenya as well. Getting her name, the seneschal knew, was a great stroke of blind luck on his part, but the warrior was not about to admit such a thing. The seneschal had figured that the stubborn elleth would balk and had been totally flabbergasted by the prisoner's sudden compliance to his demand. She had stormed over to the paper and charcoal by the hearth, walked over to rudely slap the paper down hard on his back and scribbled her message furiously, before gracelessly throwing herself across the bed in a fit of defeat. The elleth's mutinous behavior reminded him of a young elfling in a temper tantrum and it amused Glorfindel to no end that **_he_** was the cause of it.

* * *

Tossing restlessly in his slumber, even as the hour grew later and dawn was still a distant thought, Glorfindel felt a persistent, nagging thought trying, desperately, to break through to his active mind. Snippets of his earlier visits with the stubborn elleth tumbled through his agile mind. The seneschal knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he had missed a clue to something extremely important, but for the life of him, the warrior could not understand what it might be. It was another hour before realization hit the warrior with shocking suddenness. Scrambling out of his bed in wild disarray, Glorfindel barely remembered to grab a pair of light sleeping leggings before he bolted through his bedchamber's door and into the hallway. Mumbling to himself as he made his way to Erestor's chamber, the seneschal turned the unbelievable idea over and over in his head from as many angles as possible. As unlikely as his idea was, Glorfindel knew it would explain much about the elleth's absolute stubborn refusal to talk to anyone.

* * *

Persistent, annoying banging finally drove a slumbering Erestor from his bed, to the bedchamber door and flung it open with a nasty growl, _"What in Arda could be so damn important that it could not wait for dawn's break?"_ The advisor nearly screeched when Glorfindel grabbed the advisor by the arm and proceeded to unceremoniously drag the barefooted, bleary eyed elf down the hall in nothing, but his light sleeping clothes with his hair in a wild tangled mess. If he found out that Glorfindel had embarrassed him this bad for some trifle reason, Erestor would commit violence! The normally pristine elf was more than a little worried by his best friend's behavior and decided to humor Glorfindel's very strange antics; until he found out the cause of such a commotion.

The advisor tried to concentrate on the babbling stream of words that kept spilling out from the seneschal's lips, but most of it made absolutely no sense to the poor sleep deprived elf. Glorfindel was jumping back and forth from one topic to another, as if they were _supposed_ to be interconnected. What Erestor could not figure out, was what charcoal, a book of Quenya poetry, sketching pads, insults in Sindarin and stubborn mules had in common. In his sleep befuddled imagination, the advisor tried to come up with plausible explanation that the things had in common, but the advisor truly did not think a completely rude and obnoxious, Sindarin speaking mule that drew charcoal pictures and wrote poetry in Quenya could be what Glorfindel had meant. Giving up trying to decipher his best friend's words, Erestor turned his agile and sneaky mind to thoughts of revenge against this early morning attack. Erestor plotted how best to torture and maim the idiot warrior merrily dragging him down the hall in his sleepwear.

* * *

The two elves had finally reached their destination, the wooden door that led to the gray room, in one piece. They were met by mildly shocked looks and exceedingly puzzled shrugs, from the guards that stood rigidly outside the prisoner's room in silent attendance. Still acting slightly off kilter, even for the seneschal, Glorfindel threw open the wooden door with a flourish and shoved a bewildered Erestor across the threshold. Slamming the door shut behind them, Glorfindel stalked over to the previously asleep elleth, with his hands planted firmly on his hips and an extremely smug smile of satisfaction on his handsome face. Taking in the completely startled and widely blinking eyes full of sleepy confusion, the tangled mop of dark hair and the petulant scowl that was beginning to form on her brow, Glorfindel could not repress the beginnings of a cheeky grin and the decidedly evil sniggering that slipped from his lips. The elleth looked like an elfling up past her bedtime. Glorfindel thought she looked absolutely adorable!

* * *

Kestrel was less then thrilled to have the strange warrior's company, especially at this early of an hour! The elleth had finally gotten some decent sleep, without the night terrors that had been plaguing her slumber. Then the stupidly grinning idiot, standing so arrogantly before her, had the utter **_gall_** to come crashing through her door. The fact that the warrior also stood there laughing at her did not help the elleth keep, in any form, a mild disposition! The damn elf deserved to die a slow, pain filled death by her hands for this hideously rude interruption! Frowning at him in extreme exasperation, Kestrel threw back her nice warm covers and marched up to the deranged warrior. Glaring up at the golden haired male with as violent an expression as she could project, the female showed her deep displeasure at being woken, by kicking Glorfindel in the shin with as much bruising force as she could muster. The surprise attack luckily worked in the disgruntled elleth's favor, as the muffled thud and the warrior's pain filled reaction told, the now very pleased female, that the simple minded elf would have a nicely colored bruise in an hour or so. Turning around swiftly, Kestrel quickly crawled back under her still toasty warm bedcovers and rolled over, with her back to the two males; rudely dismissing them with a truly evil smirk. The smug elleth believed that the warrior had only himself to blame for the nasty bruise he was going to be sporting later. Thinking her ploy to ignore and insult the golden haired ellon was working, made Kestrel over confident. She was completely unprepared for the iciness of the hard stone floor as the golden warrior grabbed her foot firmly and tugged the elleth off her bed with a resounding **_thunk_**.

* * *

Erestor leaned sleepily against the wall by the low burning fire, watching the bizarre scene being played out in front of him. He had to admit that the female had a point and Glorfindel truly did deserve the kick. If the overly annoyed advisor had thought quicker, he would have taken it upon himself to kick Glorfindel first; when the crazed babbling warrior had dragged him down the cold hall. The elleth was now livid and dangerous, in her quiet way! Erestor was in the mood to cheer her on, in any pursuit that she wished, **_if_** it including maiming the seneschal! The female on the floor was shocked, disheveled and frowning, yet the expected scream of outrage never came. She opened and closed her mouth several times like a landed fish, before she took to glaring daggers at the seneschal. The advisor did not know which was more amusing, Glorfindel's face after the bodily attack, or the elleth's fearless return to the bed. Erestor was almost positive that Glorfindel had never met an elleth who dared to treat him in such a manner, except maybe Arwen when she was much younger. Shaking his head at the warrior's swift and childish retaliation, the advisor curiously wondered why the obstinate female had even thought, for even one fleeting moment, that she could get away with her actions towards the seneschal. Shrugging indifferently, Erestor waited patiently to see how the elleth would respond. She was rather intriguing in a violent sort of way, but then so was the seneschal when his ire was raised.

* * *

Kestrel had had **_quite_** enough of the barbaric elf! The damn annoying warrior was a rabid warg and should be treated accordingly. Dragging herself up off the floor with all the dignity of a royal, Kestrel stalked purposely to within an inch of the golden warrior; who was now giving her a glare of fiery menace. Poking Glorfindel directly in the middle of his very, well muscled chest, the elleth glared back at him just as nastily. She motioned decisively with her hands by pointing to him and then the door in a forceful manner. The quirked eyebrow was truly not a smart move on Glorfindel's part, as his foot found out; as she stomped on it with all her might. Muttered curses floated in the air, in more languages than one, as the riled combatants sent death glares at each other. Repeating her earlier actions, only this time accompanied by a stomp of her small foot, Kestrel again pointed to the door, then to both the warrior and the dark haired elf that had accompanied him. A slow evil smile crossed Glorfindel's face as the warrior spoke softly to the elleth, _"You wish us to leave, young one, then by all means just say so."_

Rolling her eyes at the ellon's complete lack of intelligence, Kestrel pointed slowly to first the quiet dark haired elf, then to the overly dense warrior in front of her, then stamped her small, delicate foot as she pointed to the closed wooden door with a forcefulness that brooked no argument. The grin on the smug warrior's face got slowly wider as he watched her, _"I can not hear a word you are saying, sweet one. Would you like to repeat that request?"_ The horrified look that chased across the elleth's features proved to Glorfindel, without a shadow of a doubt, that his theory was correct! His stubborn elleth could not speak at all! _"Is there a problem young one that you would like to explain, or should I just guess?"_

* * *

Congratulating himself on his incredibly important discovery, Glorfindel was completely caught off guard when the young elleth just dropped her eyes from his face and walked over to the farthest corner of the darkened room. The seneschal was stunned by the embarrassment and abject misery that had flashed briefly in the honey brown depths and called himself more than a few nasty names, as he realized that his words had wounded the elleth's feelings. Heaving a sigh of self disgust, the seneschal walked slowly over to the upset female who sat with her knees drawn up to her chest. Trying very hard not to make matters worse, Glorfindel hunkered down next to the curled up elleth and raised her chin so he could look directly into her eyes. _"I have hurt you," _he said in a low, sad voice,_ "It was not my intention to do that and I am sorry. Will you forgive me my stupidity this eve?"_

At first he received no answer, but then the elleth gave a barely perceptible nod in the affirmative. Relief washed over the seneschal at her small hesitant gesture. The warrior had never meant her any harm and the fact that he had actually done so, churned his stomach. Deciding to get confirmation of what he already knew in his heart, Glorfindel spoke again in the same low voice, _"You can not speak at all can you?" _A quick negative shake of her head confirmed the seneschal's theory fully. Without any real thought of what he was doing, the warrior picked the small elleth up in his strong arms and carried the surprised female back to her bed. She watched him with wild wary eyes as the warrior tucked her in and smiled gently down at her.

* * *

Staring down into the now wary eyes of the elleth, Glorfindel smiled gently. Turning to Erestor who still had not bothered to say a word and had nearly drifted back off into blessed reverie, the seneschal spoke again softly, _"Come Erestor this young one needs her sleep. We shall both return tomorrow Kestrel, at a more decent time," _looking back down into the swirling brown depths he continued, _"Sleep well, sweet one, we will speak again on the morrow and this time I will bring paper and ink, so you may answer my questions."_ With that Glorfindel motioned a sleepy advisor out the door, and with one quick look back, the seneschal joined Erestor in the hall. 


	8. Healthy Dose of Mischief

**_Disclaimer:_** I own the hideous mini-Koi, a possible spy, two bags of chocolate chip peanutbutter cookies and JRR owns the good stuff! Don't I wish I DID!

_**A/N:** _

_"This is regular speech"_

**_This in mind speech_**

**''This is visions''**

""**_This is thoughts ""_**

_This is Kestrel's written speech._

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**_To my Lovely Readers and Reviewers: THANK YOU!_**

**_A/N 2: Sorry was not posted last night but I outlasted my Beta reader and did not finish until 1130pm. TY Jen my lovely Beta! She got this edited quickly for me this afternoon!_**

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**_Healthy Dose of Mischief !_**

Kestrel came awake slowly. She closed her eyes and stretched her body like a sleepy kitten, all arms and legs with an arch in her back. She did not bother to open her eyes again, as she had memorized the interior of her room and it was the same dull boring gray it had been since she got there. Snuggling back under her covers for a few more minutes of relaxation, Kestrel let her mind drift haphazardly as she did most mornings when she awoke. Hoping for even a glimmer of her lost memories, yet receiving none, the elleth frowned in disgust. Figuring she would not get much information from her reclusive brain, the elleth let her mind focus on the strange visitation of the night before. Kestrel was not sure if she should feel upset or overjoyed that someone had finally found out her closely guarded secret, but at least now she knew she would probably have a small supply of paper, quills and ink to write down or draw what she could remember from her dreams. As for the rude, mostly silent warrior, her emotions became rather confused when she thought about that deranged ellon!

On one hand the golden haired ellon made her extremely nervous with his calm silences and intense gaze. On the other hand, he had show at least some compassion towards her situation and did not try to brow beat her into revealing all about herself; though she had come to the realization that he had tricked her somehow and knew more then he was telling. She was sure the ellon was much, much older then she had first thought, but the hints of amusement in his eyes gave him a look of a mischievous elfling. Kestrel had no doubt about the ellon's abilities as a warrior, for she had watched him closely and he moved with a lithe, confident stride that bordered on arrogance.

The two daggers on his belt were worn with use, but well balanced and meticulously cared for. There was a minute bulge in his right boot as well and Kestrel would bet her life that another dagger lay secreted there. The warrior was more of a swordsman then archer, judging from the calluses on his hands. His body was strong, lithe and muscular, but still graceful and well made. The elleth cursed herself silently as she blushed. The thought of the golden haired elf's very masculine form teased her vivid imagination. Though the warrior's frame caught the attention at first glance, it was the piercing blue eyes, the color of an autumn sky that held you mesmerized by their color and intensity. The ellon's intelligence shone clear, as well as the anger, sadness, caring or humor that filtered through the blue depths depending on his moods. The prisoner decided to keep a very sharp watch on the warrior next time he visited, as there was more to this elf then he was showing. When her mind refused to concentrate, due to the picture of the handsome ellon that sat firmly in her mind, Kestrel let out a breathy huff and dragged the pillow over her face to hide the blush that crossed her cheeks and ran up to the tips of her ears.

* * *

A soft masculine chuckle echoed around the room. The musical sound made Kestrel groan silently in embarrassment. How **_this_** elf could keep sneaking into her rooms, **_without_** waking her, the elleth could not comprehend. Lifting the pillow a tiny bit, the prisoner took stock of her surroundings and the amused ellon sitting on her rug by the fire. The twinkle in his eyes and the small smirk on his lips made the elleth act rashly. Hand still on the pillow, Kestrel grasped it tight and lobbed it directly into Glorfindel's face. The warrior's shocked expression dissolved the female into a helpless pile of silent giggles as the pillow found its mark. Merriment danced in her mischievous brown eyes as she watched him come to terms with her unexpected attack. Diving back under the safety of her covers, Kestrel just missed the sharply thrown pillow that the smug elf returned in kind. Sliding out from under the blankets again, Kestrel stared at the warrior with laughter sparkling in her eyes that brought out the yellow-gold highlight in the deep brown orbs. The smiling female then quirked her eyebrow at the smirking ellon, before she slapped her hands over her eyes and then pointed at him. It took two tries before the warrior understood what she was asking, but as soon as he realized, the seneschal complied with her insistent demands.

* * *

Glorfindel watched the elleth closely in her slumber. He was glad that night terrors were not bothering the female this morning He had cheerfully gathered quills, paper and ink from Erestor's vast supply and made his way down the halls to the elleth's room as soon as the morning meal was over. Erestor had stumbled into the dining hall for the morning meal, glared at Glorfindel and then ate silently; as he ignored the seneschal with great deliberateness. The golden haired warrior had found this highly amusing and he started his day off in a light hearted mood. Now that the ellon had uncovered the prisoner's communication problem, the seneschal hoped to learn more about the unusual creature that inhabited the gray room. Some of her refusal he knew was because of the small female's inability to speak, but he suspected more of it was from sheer mule-headedness!

Glorfindel grinned as he watched the elleth stretch; her eyes closed tight and a deep arch to her back. She then cuddled back under the blanket still completely unaware of his perusal. The elleth's brow furrowed after a few minutes, as if her thoughts had turned unpleasant. The seneschal was intrigued by her slight blush, but when she turned a deep red all the way to her ear tips, Glorfindel was dying of curiosity! When the small elleth buried her head under the pillow with a huff of air to hide the blush, even though she thought herself alone in the room, the seneschal just had to laugh. Instead of jumping up in fright, the female just peeked out with wide curious eyes. After scanning the room she brought her honey brown eyes back to him and did something quite unexpected. She threw a pillow at him with a deadly accuracy that the shocked warrior could not help but admire; that of course, did not save Kestrel from the swift instinctive retaliation of the golden haired ellon.

Seeing her eyes dance with mischief and laughter Glorfindel congratulated himself on his lack of self control where the pillow was concerned. When she suddenly slapped her hands over her eyes and then pointed at him, Glorfindel frowned in confusion. When she did it for a second time, the light of awareness blossomed and the warrior grinned. Clapping his hands over his eyes and turning his head away from the elleth, the seneschal heard the ruffled female make a mad scramble for the partition that served her as a dressing area. The wild rustling of fabric told Glorfindel that the female was hurrying out of her sleeping gown and into proper clothing at an alarming rate of speed. Truthfully, the blond haired warrior figured it took a half hour minimum for all females to change into even the simplest of outfits and **_hours_** depending on just how elaborate the festive and formal attire became. The ellon was concentrating so hard on his thoughts, that the elf nearly jumped out of his skin when, not five minutes after her race to the dressing area, Kestrel shyly tapped him on the shoulder.

* * *

Watching the elleth's suddenly frightened, troubled eyes and wary demeanor, as she slowly backed away from him with her hand still outstretched, Glorfindel sighed. He stopped the elleth's retreat by grasping her outstretched hand in his own and tugging her gently back towards him. _"I am sorry that I frightened you, small one, but you gave me a start as well! I have never known a female could dress so fast, so I was deep in thought when you touched my shoulder,"_ tilting his head to the side to peer up at her, _"Will you forgive me for scaring you, sweet one?"_ Watching emotions play across her face and slide through her expressive eyes at his question, Glorfindel hoped the small amount of trust that he had built with the small female would not be harmed by his adverse reaction to her touch. After a few seconds of deep thought, the elleth nodded to the warrior; effectively forgiving him, if a bit hesitantly. Relieved at her acceptance of his apology, the seneschal gave the female in front of him a happy smile. The flustered look that came to her eyes made Glorfindel's smile even brighter.

* * *

The blinding smile that the seneschal gave Kestrel, made the elleth's breathe catch in her throat. The damn warrior's smile was beautiful beyond words. The smile lit up, not only the ellon's face, but his sea blue eyes as well. Swallowing hard, Kestrel tried to ignore the heat that curled unexpectedly in her stomach. Her reaction to the elf was unacceptable to her mind, but her traitorous body and scattered emotions were willing to sacrifice her pride on the alter of lust and only sheer willpower kept her from doing anything truly embarrassing; like drooling over him openly. Unsure of how to behave towards the ellon, with the strange new emotions rolling around inside of her, the elleth took stock of her options and decided to act as if she was not affected by him in the least. Thankfully, the female could not see the telltale blush that covered her cheeks or the confused awareness that was reflected in her eyes.

* * *

Knowing she was going to be questioned again about herself, Kestrel made the decision to find out exactly where she was and how she got there. If the blond haired ellon refused to answer **_her_** questions, then **_he_** would not receive any answers from her! Sitting down gingerly near the warrior, Kestrel went to reach for the quills and ink that were beside the hearth next to the ellon. It shocked her to realize that her hand was still trapped in his much larger one and she blushed profusely as she tugged free. Not meeting his gently laughing gaze, the elleth sighed silently at her inattention to important details like her hand being held, and proceeded to gather all the writing supplies close to her. Laying a piece of paper on her lap, the female began to write.

_Scribble Scribble_

Glorfindel watched in fascination as a line of concentration formed in the middle of her forehead. Looking at her, the warrior was amazed at how much her actions mirrored Erestor when he was in full work mode. The fleeting thought, that she might be a scribe, was interrupted by the paper being rudely and arrogantly pushed under his nose. Quickly scanning the words, the seneschal could not help the mirth that threatened to boil over at the demanding way she had addressed the issue. She had a sharp mind under that soft exterior and Glorfindel scolded himself for forgetting that little important tidbit of information.

"_So you wish to know how you came to be here and where here is?"_ he said out loud with a voice like warm sweet cream, smooth and inviting.

The curt nod of her head and a pair of steely eyes was his answer. She chose to ignore the shiver his voice produced.

"_Here is Imladris or Rivendell, if you prefer."_

A puzzled frown caressed her brow as the elleth tried to figure out if she knew either of those names. When she could not place them, she stabbed her finger at the next question on the list.

"_Oh, so I am supposed to answer **all** your questions, am I? No, I think not sweet one, I will have one of my own questions answered before another of yours. What business brought you to Imladris and without an escort?"_

Furrowing her brow once more, Kestrel racked her memory for a glimmer of why she had come to this place and why she would travel alone, as that was a very dangerous thing to do. A hazy picture came to her. It was of three elves clothed in brown and green. The faces were obscured from recognition, but she felt she knew them well. Grabbing another paper she began to write: _I know not why I am here in your Imladris, but I think there were three others. I can not be certain of whom they were as the memory is hazy at best. Now answer my next question, warrior!_

Glorfindel read her comment and quirked an eyebrow at the elleth's audacity to demand another answer. Her words made him ponder whether she had injured her head before reaching the borders of Imladris. That could certainly be one explanation of why she was unsure of whom she traveled with. Filing that information away to ruminate on later, Glorfindel read her next question and burst out laughing. It took a few minutes to gather his control back and answer her.

"_The thoroughly objectionable mirrors are the son's of Lord Elrond, ruler of the realm of Imladris. The oldest twin, by mere minutes, is Elladan and the younger is Elrohir. They are quite vexed by your refusal to answer their questions. I have shared what I have learned of your inability to speak aloud and they have decided to leave your questioning to me. I do not believe Elladan has the patience to deal with such a stubborn creature as yourself. Now it is time to answer one of mine! Where do you hail from, young one?"_

The look that swept through Kestrel's expressive eyes was at once horrified and wistful. Reaching for the charcoal and another piece of paper, the elleth began swift strokes upon the paper before handing the quickly drawn picture to the warrior. Staring at the picture she handed him, confused him greatly. The scene was of massive trees and a fire ring with figures in motion. For being so quickly drawn, the picture was very detailed; the most surprising detail being the arm and hand that reached out from a hidden form, down towards the bottom of the page. Glancing at the elleth's small hand, that was clenching the charcoal tightly, the warrior puzzled over the drawing. Glorfindel knew for certain the hand definitely did not belong to the small female, yet there were similar markings on the more masculine arm that was depicted in the scene she drew.

About to make a comment on the arm markings in the drawing, Glorfindel was rudely interrupted by the door swinging open to admit Erestor into the room. _"Ah Erestor, so nice of you to join us on this lovely day of demanding questions and evasive answers! May I present to you Kestrel from the land drawn here in this intriguing picture. Kestrel may I introduce to you my dear friend Erestor who has delightfully agreed to help me interrogate you."_

The dark haired elf and the mute prisoner shared a brief searching look before they rolled their eyes in complete understanding and turned back to face the annoyingly chipper blond haired warrior.


	9. Indignant Elf

**_Disclaimer:_** I own the giant, hideous mini-Koi, a possible spy, two half dead apples and JRR owns the good stuff!

_**A/N:** _

_"This is regular speech"_

**_This in mind speech_**

**''This is visions''**

""**_This is thoughts ""_**

_This is Kestrel's written speech_

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A/N 2: Sorry this chapter short hopefully next chapter will be longer! Those awaiting "Hellfire" 's next chapter... I have to revamp what I have already written, so it will be a few more days! It will be out this week I promise! Thank you for staying with me through this writer's block and college!

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**_To my Lovely Readers and Reviewers: THANK YOU!_**

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Indignant Elf

Erestor exchanged a conspiratorial look with the prisoner, after Glorfindel made his cheerfully annoying introductions. The advisor could only think of one word to describe being locked in the room with the hideously annoying morning elf … **_Torture_**! Sighing dramatically, Erestor walked over to where Glorfindel was seated and gracefully deposited himself in a comfortable spot nearer the fire. The advisor watched the prisoner's gaze track his movements like a bird of prey, before once more zeroing in on the seneschal and the paper he held. Lifting her eyes from the paper, the female quirked an eyebrow at Glorfindel and tapped her foot. This amused the advisor greatly for not may would be bold enough to demand anything from the warrior as his temper, when roused, was legendary! Settling more firmly against the dull gray stone of the hearth, Erestor awaited the appropriate fireworks of an annoyed Glorfindel.

The smile that Glorfindel gave Kestrel was an unusual event to Erestor's way of thinking. Knowing the seneschal as well as he did, the advisor was rather curious as to why the blond warrior reacted to this particular prisoner in this manner, instead of his usual interrogator's glower. This curious development made the advisor look deeper into the bold prisoner's behavior, as he watched the two of them interact. The advisor loved to study people and their behavior, so the unusual way that Glorfindel reacted, while in the company of this small elleth, was a rare treat for him. Erestor wondered just how much material he could possibly gather, to tease the seneschal with for the next century or so.

* * *

The female's next move startled the advisor. She walked closer to Glorfindel placed her hands on the stone wall above his head and glared down at the seneschal for all she was worth. The look the prisoner gave him would have quelled more then a few warriors, but it did not faze Glorfindel in the slightest. The blond elf tilted his head back against the wall and smiled sweetly up at the fuming elleth. The complete calm of the seneschal incensed the prisoner's temper and she snatched the paper off the warrior's lap with one hand and waved it at him demandingly. He calmly reached up and took it back with a smile. _"You thought I forgot about the paper, I see. Well I think that Erestor might wish to ask you a few questions of his own, so it would only be polite to let him go first. Do you not think so,"_ Glorfindel questioned reasonable. The elleth glared down at the warrior once more before leaning back and walking away. Wrapping her arms around her middle, Kestrel fumed in silence as she paced back and forth near the end of the bed with a deep frown. Coming to a decision suddenly, the female whirled around and stormed up to Erestor, with her hands on her hips and foot tapping out an annoyed rhythm.

* * *

Glorfindel could not help giving in to his mirth, when the elleth stormed over to Erestor with the demanding air of a very annoyed commander awaiting an explanation, from a recruit who disobeyed a direct order. The withering glare she leveled at him, made the seneschal laugh all the harder. This small female most definitely had a volatile temper and was quite fearless as well. This was another tidbit of information that Glorfindel squirreled away for later thinking, but at the moment the seneschal was more interested in the interactions of the advisor and prisoner. The two had engaged in a frowning contest and it was hard to tell who was winning, because they wore identical frowns. Now Glorfindel was more convinced then ever, that if the prisoner was **_not_** a scribe, she very well **_should_** be! Deciding to break the silence and get on with the questioning, the warrior cleared his throat loudly. Two sets of eyes swung in his direction with perfect synchronicity, which made the golden haired ellon a bit unnerved. It was rather creepy the way they looked at him, as if he was a strange specimen of insect. The thought of insects brought back memories of Erestor's collection and a slight shudder wracked the warrior's frame in disgust. Shaking off the thought, Glorfindel muttered to Erestor, _"I do believe the impatient one is awaiting your question, Tor. She has a long list of her own questions that she wishes to be answered, so she is a bit on the demanding side today. Please feel free to ask your question at your earliest convenience, my dear advisor."_

Erestor allowed his eyes to wander slowly over the prisoner with a thoughtful look on his face. He had quite a few questions in mind, but he wanted to start off with one that would throw her off balance and make it easier to catch her in a lie. Standing and nodding to the elleth, as she kept her darkening brown eyes pinned to his face, the advisor made his mind up. Erestor smiled, a small unfriendly advisor's smile, before stating in a cold crisp tone, _"The markings on your arms, back, heart and stomach are what interest me most at this point in time. No elf would allow their bodies to be marred in such a horrible fashion voluntarily, so I ask how it is that you come by the marks of the Dark Lord if you are not a spy?"_

* * *

Kestrel heard the question with a sense of shock and outrage. Instinct had her fist connecting solidly with the advisor's face in a beautiful roundhouse punch. This was definitely not one of the wiser things she had done in her lifetime, but it **_was_** one of the most satisfying! The elleth was completely taken off guard when two arms snaked around her waist and hauled her bodily off her feet. She lost the ability to breathe when she was tossed unceremoniously over the golden haired warrior's very solid shoulder as he stalked to the bed and dropped her with a snarled, _"**Stay put!**"_ Since she no longer knew how to breathe, Kestrel stayed where the irate warrior had tossed her and watched as he went to the darkling elf's side. Rubbing the fist that she had hit the elf with, Kestrel pondered her immediate future and found that, after this misdeed, the future looked pretty grim. The elleth knew she had miscalculated her actions, but the damn darkling elf had insulted her to the very core! A low rumbling growl brought the prisoners attention back into focus and from the look in the warrior's stormy blue eyes, she was in deep trouble.

* * *

Glorfindel leisurely strolled towards the bed with a furious gleam in eyes that had turned dark as stormy seas. Of all things he had expected, the female doing bodily harm to Erestor was the very **_last_** thing the seneschal had thought to see. Watching her dark brown eyes widen the closer he got, Glorfindel smiled grimly in satisfaction. If the small elleth was going to misbehave like a spoiled elfling, then she would suffer the consequences. He reached the bed, without a single movement from the prisoner. Leaning over the prone form of his prisoner, Glorfindel growled into her ear, so softly that Erestor could not hear, _"You have an apology to make little warg! I expect it to be a sincere and nicely delivered one as well! If you ever raise your hand to him **again,** I will personally see to it that you will be unable to sit or lay on your back for a good fortnight. Do I make myself clear?" _The small, shaky nod of agreement, the warrior's threat produced, was not missed by the seneschal and he breathed softly into the prisoner's ear, _"Good! I am **so** glad you agree, my little warg, because being on my bad side is **never** a pleasant thing."_

* * *

Waiting for the golden haired ellon to lean back and walk away, Kestrel counted herself lucky that the blond warrior had only threatened her this time. Once he moved farther across the room towards the hearth, the elleth slithered out of bed on trembling limbs and made her way to the paper and charcoal. She would have used the quill and ink, but they were right by the warrior and she did not wish to be any closer then she had to at this moment! Taking her supplies, Kestrel crept over to the darkling elf with her eyes firmly placed on the still fuming blond. With a deep breath to steady both her nerves and her fingers, the elleth thought her apology through, and then began to write.

_Scribble...Scribble…Scribble_

_My humble apologies for striking you sir, I should never have fallen to such a base depth, but your words inflamed my temper and resulted in my extreme lack of control. I do hope we can put this unseemly upset behind us and proceed in a more gracious manner. _

_Your most humble servent, _

_Kestrel._

Head held high with grave dignity, the prisoner handed Erestor her written note with a slight formal bow and walked away without a backward glance. Erestor quirked an eyebrow at Glorfindel, who was still staring after the elleth in a state of shock, and amusement if nothing else, this small female, could render an apology with grace.


	10. Jumping Off the Deep End

**_Disclaimer:_** I own the giant, overweight mini-Koi, a possible spy, a pair of kitty cats on Prozac and JRR owns the good stuff!

_**A/N:** _

_"This is regular speech"_

**_This in mind speech_**

**''This is visions''**

""**_This is thoughts ""_**

_This is Kestrel's written speech._

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**_A/N 2: Due to technological difficulties with getting part of the chapter written and my stuttering brain to write properly, Hellfire is posponed til Friday afternoon, or Thursday night_ IF _the Valar smiles upon me! Thank you for waiting patiently!_**

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**_To my Lovely Readers and Reviewers: THANK YOU!_**

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Jumping Off the Deep End

Kestrel sat primly on the edge of the bed with her back to the two whispering ellon. The enraged fair haired warrior had wanted her to apologize and apologize she had! **_"If the darkling elf, Erestor, refuses my apology, then he can go rot in the deepest pit in Moria for all I care! He had some nerve to insinuate I would work for that evil, loathsome creature of darkness! Just because of some vile markings! There must be some other explanation as to why I bare these strange signs upon my body as I do. Why the Valar can I not remember? Do I truly look that hideous to their eyes? I wish Eru would just give me back my own thoughts! This is a cruel punishment indeed!" _**the elleth thought sadly to herself. She truthfully had not meant any harm to the other elf, but his words stung her soul and that had led to unthinking action. Now that she knew the darkling elf's glowing opinion of her, Kestrel vowed to ignore the taunts and hold her temper at bay.

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Glorfindel watched the prisoner as she sat silently on the bed, with her hands folded neatly in her lap and her spine rigid. The warrior was still quite angry at the elleth, but Erestor's words had calmed some of the heat from his thoughts. The seneschal knew he could be as bad tempered as a wounded bear at times, but the little warg on the bed had a temper almost as fierce as his own! Now that Glorfindel knew Erestor was unharmed, though slightly bruised and mightily amused with the events, the warrior could not help but admire the beauty of her punch. The female had struck without thought but with deadly accuracy; though he had seen her rubbing her hand afterwards to his amusement. She was an enigma, one minute sweet and shy, then demanding and arrogant, next a brawling hellion. Boring, she was not!

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Erestor, who was still contemplating the prisoner, came to the conclusion that he needed to change tactics with this female. Insinuations had garnered him some information and an aching jaw, but now it was time to find out why she reacted so strongly. Tucking the paper under his arm, the advisor picked up the quill and ink before moving to face the prisoner. He watched as she refused to acknowledge his presence and continued to sit quietly. Placing the supplies next to her, the advisor smiled grimly. _"You know we could play these games for centuries and all we would get is nowhere. What part of my question bothered you most? That I thought your markings made you ugly or that I consider you a spy for the Dark Lord?"_

* * *

Fiery eyes blazed to life as Kestrel's head shot up. She locked her eyes with those of the advisor, before reaching for the supplies. A sickly sweet smile graced her lips, and Erestor nearly laughed aloud, at the sheer audaciousness of the small female. Even when the odds were against her, the elleth did not back down gracefully. Dipping the quill daintily into the ink, Kestrel began to pen her answer in swift sure strokes.

_Scribble…Scribble…Scribble_

"_I have no care of your opinion! It is of no consequence should you think me fair or foul, but I do, however, resent your rude and insulting comments about my allegiance to the Dark One! You had best take care of whom you belittle, in your petty inquisitions, in the future, for I refuse to parley with you in any form! Be gone from my sight, Orc dung!"_

Kestrel handed the paper to Erestor with a mocking bow, before turning her head and ignoring his presence utterly. She awaited the outraged response to her answer. The golden haired one would be livid that she had spoken such to his friend, but the truth was, she had had enough of the newcomer's insults; plus she wished to see the intelligence of her dark inquisitor. A bark of laughter exploded close by, making the elleth turn in surprise. Twinkling silver eyes met her startled honey colored ones, as the darkling elf's lips quirked in amusement. Passing the paper to the seneschal, the advisor turned back to the prisoner and said in a laughing voice, _"Orc dung? I thought that you would be much more creative, then that crude saying. I must say that I am gravely disappointed in your lack of imagination; though your Quenya is excellent and your writing, neat and precise. So tell me, fell beast, do you understand any other languages besides these two?"_

* * *

Kestrel opened and closed her mouth several times in shock. The elleth was caught off guard by the easy manner in which the darkling received her dressing down and the strange fact that he had called her "fell beast" in such a pleasant tone. This darkling elf was a strange one and bore watching closely. This Erestor was trickier then she first imagined and he was as intelligent, or more so, then the blond warrior. The elf at least had a sense of humor, so he was not **_all_** bad! She thought about the advisor's question and after a few minutes wracking her mind, the answer was a resounding, '**_I have no idea!_**' Kestrel wished the elf had just asked her in the other languages he spoke, then it might have spark a memory or she might just have instantaneously understood it. Oh well she would have to just wait and see what happened next!

Looking into the darkling's mirth filled silver eyes, Kestrel tossed up her shoulders in an exaggerated shrug. She was surprised at the gentle hand he laid on her shoulder and the soft words that followed the gesture, _"We will have to test your knowledge, child, and see just how much of an education you have been given. If that is acceptable to all involved; your instinctive response to my words, was exactly the reaction I had hoped for; just not so spectacularly achieved. Until we know more about you and what brought you here to fair Imladris, your accommodations will have to remain this dreary place, but I will speak to Lord Elrond about the possibility of well guarded walks in the private gardens nearby," _at the blatantly hopeful look in the prisoner's gaze, Erestor smiled slightly before cautioning. _"Do not hold to hope, for it may well be denied! We shall see what comes. Now if you will excuse me I must return to my duties. Farewell, youngling, until next time."_ Erestor and Glorfindel were stupefied when she arose and dropped into a deep curtsey. Coming out of the pose, Kestrel offered a small smile to the advisor; who bowed in return before taking his leave.

* * *

Glorfindel watched the curious interaction between the two elves and frowned darkly. For some unexplainable reason the warrior was greatly miffed, that the elleth had responded so well to Erestor; considering the unfortunate incident. The seneschal knew he should be overjoyed that he had an ally that the prisoner had readily taken to, but a small irrepressible part of the warrior was annoyed to no end by this development. The small, sweet smile that the elleth had bestowed on the advisor had gotten the blond seneschal's hackles up! Taking an instantaneous dislike for his own thoughts, Glorfindel put his irritation with Erestor down to his friend trusting the small female, without truly knowing her motives. **_Now_** Erestor was even planning on testing the elleth's knowledge, which meant the advisor was going to be spending many more hours in her company; that did not sit well with the warrior, though he brushed it off as deep concern for the advisor's wellbeing. The seneschal decided he would just have to rotate his schedule around, so that he could be assured of always being available, during the testing times; to protect Erestor from harm of course.

* * *

Kestrel eyed the warrior warily after they were left alone. She was afraid his temper tantrum would resume, but was pleasantly surprised when he just frowned for a few minutes, before walking back to his normal spot by the fire. Unable to decide if she should approach him or not, the elleth gave a nearly silent **_'huff,'_** before picking up the quill and ink, moving on quiet feet the cautious female edged closer to the golden haired ellon and tilted her head in question. When he patted the area next to him, Kestrel slowly slid to the floor and placed the items she held, close by her side. Neither spoke for many long minutes, both lost in their own thoughts. A stray memory surfaced and startled the elleth. Trying to hold on to the picture in her mind, Kestrel grabbed the charcoal and paper, hoping to record the image before it disappeared again.

* * *

Glorfindel was jolted out of his own thoughts when the elleth's body jumped slightly. Her honey brown eyes held a haunted look within their depths, but her face remained expressionless. The small elleth scrambled for the charcoals and paper; in a grab that seemed almost desperate. The seneschal's quizzical blue gaze watched quietly as the bold strokes flew across the paper in a whirlwind of motion. The haunted look never faltered, as the minutes passed quickly. He watched as a picture came roaring to life on the sheet of paper in glaring detail. The scene the elleth drew brought iciness to Glorfindel's soul.

**_A human male hung suspended from a large tree by his wrists. What looked to be blood ran in rivulets across his chest, his stomach and down his thighs. The human was unclothed and seemed to hang there listlessly; either dead or unconscious. What looked to be knife wounds littered his body, but none of the injuries looked fatal. In a few area, the skin was missing and what could only be bone showed through. _**

Kestrel's strokes stopped as abruptly as they had begun. Dropping the small piece of charcoal she still held, the elleth gazed at the picture she had drawn, in dawning horror. With a mixed look of sheer disgust and agonizing dispair, the small female flung the drawing away from her, with a trembling hand. Standing unsteadily, Kestrel staggered to the corner of the room, where she wretched violently into the bucket that rested there.

* * *

Kestrel was completely unaware of Glorfindel picking up the drawing to study it closely for a moment. Turning the picture over and placing it next to where he sat, the seneschal stood and walked purposely to the elleth's side. Gathering the chestnut mass away from her overly pale features, Glorfindel wiped Kestrel's mouth with a piece of cloth he had grabbed on the way. She was quaking so badly that the warrior had to wrap his arm around the small form, to keep her from pitching face first to the floor. Tears streamed down the elleth's pale cheeks, as her breath hitched erratically. Her eyes were glazed and unfocused. The seneschal could see that the tiny female had the symptoms of severe shock. Laying her down gently on the floor, Glorfindel banged on the door, alerting the guards. When the wooden doors opened, the worried warrior explained the urgent matter and bade them to go fetch Elrond. The seneschal ordered them to apprise Elrond of the situation and have him return, post haste, with whatever medicines he needed to treat the elleth's condition. Without waiting for a confirmation of his order, Glorfindel slammed the door shut in the guard's face and rushed back to the prisoner's side.

Seeing the elleth's still pale features and completely limp form tore at the warrior's gentle heart. Kestrel looked small and helpless; so much different then the female that the ellon was used to dealing with. Crossing swiftly to the elleth's bed, Glorfindel proceeded to drag the soft blanket free and walked back to the elleth's unmoving form. Wrapping Kestrel up tight in the blanket, the warrior gathered Kestrel against his broad, muscular chest, before moving over to his regular place by the fire. Hoping to keep the small prisoner from further harm, Glorfindel kept her warm with a combination of the blanket, the fire and his own body heat. The warrior murmured soft soothing noises to the small prone figure, while he gently stroked her waterfall of hair where it hung loosely down her back. Why he should be so worried about one of his prisoners, never even crossed the warrior's thoughts. The seneschal only knew that the young one had drawn a picture of great malice, and that bothered the warrior immensely. The only way that the elleth could have reproduced such an image in that great of a detail would be to have witnessed it in person, why the elleth would have been a willing witness to such horror, Glorfindel wished not to dwell on. Snuggling the small female more comfortably in his lap, Glorfindel began to softly sing one of his favorite songs, as he awaited the arrival of Elrond.


	11. Killing Time the Hard Way

**_Disclaimer:_** I own the mini-Koi on miracle grow, a possible spy, a tootsie roll and JRR owns the good stuff!

_**A/N:** _

_"This is regular speech"_

**_This in mind speech_**

**''This is visions''**

""**_This is thoughts ""_**

_This is Kestrel's written speech_

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_**A/N 2: sorry it took so long but the chapter refused to flow smoothly! Hope you like how the final draft is. Also I am excited beyond words! Blood Thorns was nominated for the "My Precious Awards" and I am so humbled and proud to be nominated!**_

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**_To my Lovely Readers and Reviewers: THANK YOU!_**

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Killing Time the Hard Way

Elrond quietly entered the gray room with a small bag of healing herbs. He caught sight of his seneschal singing softly to the blanket wrapped elleth on his lap. The warrior was gently stroking her dark hair over and over; lending what comfort he could. The extremely worried expression on Glorfindel's face made the elf lord smile. It had been some time since the elf lord had seen the re-born warrior allow anyone that close to him; other then his children and Erestor. Glorfindel cared for all those under his command and was a good friend to many in Imladris; but nothing like the slightly possessive actions the seneschal was exhibiting towards this wounded spirit he held so gently. Moving on quiet feet, Elrond reached the warrior and his unresponsive charge.

Kneeling down next to Glorfindel, the elf lord smiled softly before peeling back the covering to see his patient. Eyes the color of warm honey stared glazed and unfocused. The path of dried tears could be plainly seen along her pale cheeks. A light tremble wracked her form; not from cold but from intense fear. Elrond was amazed at how small and fragile she looked nestled in the large warrior's embrace, but he remembered the talk that he had had with Erestor earlier and knew a strong fighting spirit laid within the frightened shell before him. Sighing at the pitiful sight, Elrond began questioning his seneschal about the prisoner's behavior. _"What brought about such fear in the young one? She is deeply trapped within her mind and I would know what triggered such an episode as this."_ Elrond watched as the worried seneschal reach down and grasped a piece of parchment that had been lying next to him upon the floor. Turning it over with a grimace, Glorfindel handed the picture to the elf lord.

Elrond's face paled considerably when he gazed at the drawing he now held. The scene was disturbing in its content, but it was the idea, such a horrendous vision could be drawn by the small sweet looking elleth that chilled his soul to the core. It was a scene of deliberate torture and most efficiently done from what the picture showed. The elf lord could not help but wonder what other dark thoughts lingered within the mind of the young female prisoner. Reaching out to place his hand upon her forehead, Elrond was somewhat relieved at the absence of dark malice that he had feared tainted her soul. She was not evil in intent, from all that he could feel. The swirling pictures that curled through Elrond's mind from hers ran from a laughing child full of joy to a dancing elf maid just past her majority surrounded by firelight, music and friends to a dark ceremony full of uninhibited dancing and pain filled rituals. The elleth's feelings were a mixture of brooding sorrow, intense joy and wary acceptance. Whoever she was, the elf lord was sure now that she held no loyalty to the Dark Lord. Her mind was confused and troubled by dark images, but her soul burned brightly with the light of the elves.

* * *

Without warning the elleth came to her senses and lashed out at the elf lord as he bent over her huddled form. Her small hand reached out in an unbelievably fast move and grasped Elrond's throat in a vicious hold; choking off his air supply. Glorfindel was stunned for a moment but quickly regained his composure, as he dragged the clenched fingers off Elrond's throat. Glorfindel was shocked by the elleth's sudden attack on the elf lord, but was grateful that her comatose demeanor was now gone and that she was finally responding to her surroundings. The deliberate strangle hold she had taken upon the elf lord's throat was a calculated move that spoke of hand to hand training at some point in the small prisoner's life. The instinctive reaction was undeniably swift, while the small female seemed nearly feral in her response to Elrond's healing magic. This elleth was more and more intriguing as time passed and the seneschal wondered just what new surprises lay in store over the coming weeks. When the small female scrambled free of his arms and the blanket, Glorfindel was worried by the very wary gaze and quick backward retreat. Realizing that the elleth had no idea when Elrond had arrived, the warrior understood her fears. She obviously did not like being taken unawares and made sure that she was in a better area to defend herself if necessary. 

As he started to move closer to the elleth, Glorfindel saw her eyes widen as if in pain and then began to rub up and down along her upper arms where the strange markings lay. The seneschal watched as her wide eyes showed the beginnings of panic. As the raw look of terror increased, the elleth's mouth moved to form words that the two ellon could not hear or decipher. Glorfindel exchanged a worried look with Elrond before turning back to the prisoner. The warrior watched as her words came to a halt and the honey colored eyes refocused with a semblance of normality. The golden haired warrior was so vastly relieved that she had not dropped back into the catatonic state, that he threw a swift prayer of thanks to the Valar.

* * *

Kestrel hunkered against the cold stone wall at her back in confusion. Moving with excruciating slowness, the elleth rose to her feet, eyes still wide and wild, teeth bared and her body trembling violently. Her chest rose and fell in heaving distress as she tried to calm her breathing. Mind whirling, the small female tried to place when the new ellon had appeared and why the strange tingle that radiated from his hand bothered her so. She reasoned it had to be some form of elven magic and that sent a chill through her body. **_""They must not be allowed to use magic on her or all was lost. "" _**This sudden thought scared her, for she knew not where it had come from or why the thought of magic disturbed her so. Elves were known for their varying forms of magic that connected them so closely to the world of nature and to Arda itself. It was natural to elves and to her as well, but a strange pulsing beat thrummed within her head and made the elleth's mind swim dangerously. 

Pictures of elves, dancing in deliberate naked abandon around a fire, made Kestrel's heart beat in thunderous time to the drums she could hear in her mind. A feeling of belonging swept through her soul and settled in her stomach; easing the violent swirl of butterflies that fought within. Her arms began to burn hotly and she silently moaned in distress. Grasping her upper arms she began to rub at them trying to stem the burning ache. When that did not stop the growing pain Kestrel began to panic. Memories flooded her as she slid towards the ground again totally unaware of the two very concerned ellon that had closed the distance between themselves and the prisoner. She began silently mouthing words as the pain increased in her arms to a nearly unbearable extreme. As Kestrel finished her silent speech, the memories faded as fast as they had come upon her and the pain vanished.

* * *

Gently reaching out a hand to the small female, the golden haired warrior tucked an errant strand of dark hair behind her ear. At his touch, honey brown eyes turned and looked at him fully. The seneschal was completely delighted when the frightened elleth reached out and grabbed his hand before scooting closer to him. He had wondered if the slight trust he had formed with her over the last few days would be ruined with the unbidden intrusion of the elf lord's presence. That Kestrel would see him not as a threat, but as a protector, warmed the Balrog slayer's heart. The prisoner's perusal of Elrond from the more protected area next to Glorfindel was not missed by the warrior. Her eyes took in every minute detail; of the elf lord, but her facial expression gave away none of her inner thoughts; only the wary eyes told of her misgivings. Deciding he had to somehow diffuse the tense situation, the warrior smiled down into the worried eyes of his prisoner. _"Kestrel I wish you to meet Lord Elrond of the realm of Imladris. He is a kind and just elf, as well as a master healer. I sent for him myself to treat you when you suddenly lapsed into shock. Will you let him examine you so we can make sure there is nothing physically wrong with you? No harm will come to you while I am near, sweet one this I promise. Will you give your consent to this exam?" _

For a space of a heartbeat there was no response from the dark haired elleth. Glorfindel felt her take a deep shuddering breath just before giving a tentative nod of agreement. The seneschal squeezed the smaller hand tightly in his much larger one for a brief moment before gifting the small female with a blazing smile. Turning back to the elf lord, Glorfindel missed the shy smile that the elleth gave to him, but Elrond saw it and smirked inwardly. There was definitely more going on between these two elves then the relationship between a prisoner and her jailer.

As the elf lord began his exam of the wary female, he could not help wondering what the future held for these two unlikely combatants. It would be very amusing to see how their interactions evolved and he was going to insist that Erestor keep him informed of the entire goings on with this very unusual prisoner that had invaded their lands.


	12. Lost Souls

**_Disclaimer:_** I own the spy, the scaly fish and a lot of homework due before finals week! But JRR owns the good stuff!

_**A/N:** _

_"This is regular speech"_

**_This in mind speech_**

**''This is visions''**

""**_This is thoughts ""_**

_This is Kestrel's written speech._

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_**A/N 2: Well finals are over and i have a week to rest! I have decided to try another approach to my writing/update ways. I will be doing three chapters for this story then three chapters for Hellfire then three chapters for Moonfire then three more for Blood Thorns so i came keep the creative juices flowing a bit faster. Jumping story to story after only one chapter was driving me mad! Hope you all are okay with this and if all goes well with this new strategy, my updates will be much faster! Sorry it has been so long between updates and thank you for bearing with me!**_

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**_To my Lovely Readers and Reviewers: THANK YOU!_**

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Lost Souls

It had been a week since Elrond had visited the prisoner in the gray room. He had found no physical symptoms for her loss of memory, so he had formed the opinion that it was the result of stress and fear. Judging from the description of her condition upon arrival, Elrond thought it more then likely that she had seen or been part of something so horrific that her mind could not cope with the aftermath and had simply shut down her memories until such time that she could handle what ever she had been through. Erestor and Glorfindel had made daily reports on her condition and behavior; other then a few stubborn temper fits, the female was cooperating with them.

Kestrel had begun her testing with Erestor two days after Elrond's visit and the advisor was well pleased with the progress he was making in determining the prisoner's education level. The chief advisor had found that she could not only read and write Sindarin and Quenya but Westron as well. She was an avid student and seemed to enjoy all the forms of enlightenment she could weasel out of Erestor. Parchments littered the gray room from the many notes that Kestrel had made over the course of her studies. Some things seemed to bring a hint of excited recognition to her honey brown eyes, while others left her eyes strangely blank. Everyday her memories were surfacing and Erestor had no doubt she would fully recover them in time.

* * *

Erestor jumped slightly when the sound of a heavy book landing on the floor broke the thick silence of the gray room. The advisor had been deeply embroiled in fleshing out a treaty renewal that was due the next day, so the disturbance was more unwelcome then usual. Turning to look over his shoulder, Erestor found the highly amusing sight of Kestrel staring at her book as if a warg was going to spring forth and devour her whole. Wide eyes darted to the advisor before she pointed to the book and motioned him over to her with her hands. He found it rather funny that she did not wish to touch the book that now lay on the floor, yet was frantic for him to see what had upset her.

Glancing down at the page, Erestor saw the reason for Kestrel's weird behavior; the history of the fall of Gondolin and a picture depicting Glorfindel's battle with the Balrog. Lifting his eyes from the picture with a smile, the dark haired elf smiled as he acknowledged sadly, _"Aye, youngling, that is our Glorfindel. I forgot that with your memories missing you would not recognize the name or the story behind our dear seneschal's fight with the Balrog." _The elleth scrambled over the side of the bed and scurried to the blank parchments and ink with a haunted look on her face. Grabbing up the items she needed, Kestrel began writing like a whirlwind.

_Scribble… Scribble… Scribble… _

With a shaking hand, the prisoner handed her message to Erestor with frightened, sorrowful eyes. Clasping her hands tightly together, Kestrel awaited his reaction with trepidation. The inelegant snort and bark of laughter that followed was definitely not what she had expected. It took a few moments for the advisor to bring himself under control before he could answer her frantic questions. Settling himself on the edge of her bed, Erestor tried to keep his mirth leashed as he explained. _"I sincerely apologize for my rude outburst youngling, but such a thought had not ventured into my mind. **Nay,** we are most definitely not in Mandos' Hall of Waiting and **Nay,** you are not dead. Glorfindel **did** die when he fought a Balrog in defense of his city. He helped the elleth and elflings to escape the falling city at the price of his own life. The Valar chose him to return to Arda to keep safe Lord Elrond and his family. He is now seneschal of Imladris and it is his job to see to the security of our fair vale. You will have to ask Glorfindel yourself if you wish to know more of his life."_

Nodding in understanding, Kestrel picked up the book she had dropped and resumed reading of the fall of Gondolin and Glorfindel's subsequent demise at the hands of a Balrog. She shivered as the sad tale unfolded and could not help but wonder what consequences dying then being reborn would do to the mind of an elf. She felt her heart go out to the golden haired elf that had lost all he held dear, only to return to a time not his own. She knew it must have been hard to adjust to all the new things that had come to pass. She wondered if he still had memories of his old life and if those memories helped or hurt his soul. Not having much memory of her own life, lent Kestrel a unique perspective on the conflicting emotions, that she was sure would be involved, in coming to terms with two life times of thoughts and feelings. She vowed to herself to seek out answers to some of her questions when the warrior returned from where ever he had been sent.

* * *

Glorfindel rode cautiously through the tree line, scanning all around him for any unusual sights, sounds or smells. The patrol had cleared out three smaller bands of Orcs, but the threat of more loomed ahead. The scouts had reported a larger group of the vile beasts lurking in the higher mountain pass. Once this group of 100 Orcs was destroyed, the patrol would once more make for the safety of the Last Homely House and the warriors would get some much needed rest. The seneschal let his mind drift slightly, even as his senses roved the area. He wondered how Erestor was getting along with their prisoner and if any more of her memories had returned.

A slight smile flitted across his lips as he thought back to the last time he had seen the stubborn elleth. She had been overly rude and obnoxious to Glorfindel, but respectful and kind to Erestor; at least at first.

_**Flashback**_

**_Kestrel listened closely as Erestor outlined his test. Her brow furrowed after a few moments in deep thought, before she shook her head angrily. Arms crossed her chest and a mutinous look settled on her delicate features as she glared with dark venom at the advisor. Erestor had wished for the elleth to allow Glorfindel to draw the strange marking that covered her skin, as the seneschal was the better artist, but the female was annoyed to no end that they were still harping on her body drawings instead of the intellectual tests she had thought they were going to pursue. Erestor moved closer to Kestrel with single minded determination, after handing Glorfindel his charcoal and parchment. The narrowed eyes throwing out brown flames and the lips curled back in a snarl of disgust should have alerted Erestor about the folly of his action. _**

**_Erestor reached out to loosen the ties to her tunic, but was met by a snapping of teeth very close to his fingers. Pulling back with a frown, the advisor watched as the female stormed to where Glorfindel stood. Ripping the parchment out of his hand, the elleth tossed it in to the flames with a satisfied smirk tilting her chin defiantly at the dark haired ellon. Kestrel huffed at him before turning towards the door and pointing for them to leave. This did not sit well with the now glaring Erestor, but Glorfindel ushered the advisor out the door while speaking over his shoulder that they would return when she was in a more cooperative mood. The golden haired elf could not contain his mirth after leaving the gray room and told Erestor his idea to get the sketches done with less fuss. _**

**_Two hours later they had walked into the room with parchment and quills. The elleth was fast asleep by the hearth; thanks to a sleeping draught in her drink. It was almost an hour later that Glorfindel put the finishing touches on the sketches and the two ellon gently redressed the prisoner and laid her in her bed to sleep off the effects of the draught. The seneschal had hated to resort to such measures, but Erestor had stressed the urgent need to unravel the mystery of her body markings as soon as possible. Handing the sketches to the advisor, Glorfindel retired to his own room to ready himself for his patrol watch. Orc activity had increased and he wanted to personally oversee the eradication of the foul spawn from his beloved valley; plus he figured it would give the elleth time to calm down should she find out about the unorthodox method he resorted to in obtaining the sketches._**

* * *

A series of bird calls alerted the patrol that the scouts had found the Orcs and effectively pulled Glorfindel from his musing. Moving with quiet haste, the patrol slid farther into the forest, taking to the trees as they made for the area where the scouts waited. The seneschal smiled in grim amusement as he spied the large, but unorganized, group of Orcs. These fell creatures stood no chance, with the seasoned warriors that formed his patrol, Glorfindel thought with pride. With a sharp nod from his head, a rain of arrows shot forth from the trees, followed swiftly by the whirring and slashing of blades as the elves descended on their enemy with fearsome grace. The fight lasted, but moments. 


	13. mistakes and mishaps

**_Disclaimer:_** I own the giant, overweight mini-Koi, a possible spy, a pair of old gym socks and JRR owns the good stuff!

_**A/N:** _

_"This is regular speech"_

**_This in mind speech_**

**_''This is visions ''_**

""**_This is thoughts ""_**

_This is Kestrel's written speech._

**_A/N 2: Sorry it has taken so long to get this out! _**

**_To my Lovely Readers and Reviewers: THANK YOU!_**

**_Mistakes and Mishaps _**

Erestor sat up well into the night pouring over the drawings that Glorfindel had made of Kestrel's body markings. More then a few dusty tomes lay scattered on his desk, yet the advisor had not come to any firm conclusions about the nature of all the markings. He had actually found some reference to the one marking around her navel and another he had known as soon as he had looked over the drawing. The prisoner was much more then they had bargained for and he worried about how much information he needed to impart to Elrond. With a sigh, Erestor pushed back his chair and padded softly to the table that held a supply of wines and cordials. Pouring himself a large glass of deep burgundy wine, the advisor drifted out onto the balcony that overlooked a spectacular waterfall; though at this late hour it was but a dim pale shimmer in the distance. Staring sightlessly out into the night, the advisor let his thoughts tumble haphazardly, as he contemplated his next move. Most of what he knew could be imparted, but some he knew should not be brought forth into the light. The oath bonds of servitude and friendship warred with the oath of secrecy; this did not sit well with the advisor and it showed in his solemn demeanor. Time would tell, if his decisions to withhold some of the information would be the correct one or if it would be a misbegotten folly.

**_''Screams echoed around the chamber as the knife slid home again. A grim, yet sweet smile was the only visible testimony of a job well done. Questions had been asked over and over, but the man had refused to cooperate; so drastic measures were taken. The loud pitiful screams were nothing new to the questioner, nor was the blood that dripped unheeded to the dark pit's floor. A few buckets of water and the blood would be gone and all would be right again. The information being ripped from the man was vitally important. The many slices and burns that covered the man's torso had been needed to persuade his tongue to loosen, but the information that was revealed was well worth the lengthy interrogation. After too many blood filled hours, the man had finally given up the location of what was so very desperately sought and the tired interrogator's duty was at an end. Cool clean water drenched the naked form of the interrogator, systematically washing away the gore that four intense hours of questioning had made. Hunger made itself known as the last of the blood flowed down the drain in the pit's center. Throwing on clothes, the slight figure of the interrogator moved with an effortless grace towards the exit. Turning just once to survey the room, the interrogator was satisfied that appearances were as they should be and left the room with a smile, intent on a hunt for sustenance. '' _**

Kestrel sighed for the hundredth time that day. She was so weary of the dim light and tight quarters, that she was sure that it would not take much longer before she became stark raving mad. Erestor had given her a bright thought to look forward to, but it still seemed a distant dream at the moment. After the evening meal, she was to be allowed into a secured garden for an hour. If she behaved herself tonight, then Lord Elrond would allow her out in the garden again; although still under heavy guard. The thought of seeing the sky, the stars and trees while breathing in fresh air made her head spin with delight. She could care less if the whole Imladris guard was placed in the garden, as long as she could see for herself that the garden was real and not a hopeful imagining of her scrambled mind.

Mulling over the pleasant prospect of her outdoor foray, Kestrel was less then focused on her surroundings and nearly missed the squeaking that spoke of company. Turning to the door with a slight smile, the elleth was confused by the look in her visitor's eyes. Erestor slowly closed the door behind him without taking his intense stare off Kestrel. Moving further into the room, the advisor spoke not a single word to the prisoner until he reached the hearth, where a fire blazed merrily. He let out a ragged sigh before addressing Kestrel_. "Youngling, I know what you are now, so there is no longer a need to hide yourself from me. Your markings show your true nature. This sad act you have perpetrated to hide your secrets will now cease immediately. You will submit to my inquiry without hesitation or I will have the guards outside assist me. Trust my word that should the guards become necessary, you will rue your behavior and find yourself in great pain. Submit freely to the test and the pain will be minimal at best. Now come here to me and remove your upper garments please."_

Kestrel's mind raced at an alarming speed as she watched the advisor's distinctly unhappy demeanor. After all this time she had hoped that they would delve no deeper into her past; until she herself was sure of where she came from and what her life had been. Now it seemed that Erestor knew about her secret and was bent on proving who she was aligned with in this fight of good and evil. Knowing she had no hope of keeping her secrets safe any longer, Kestrel decided the fewer elves that knew about her the better. Walking defiantly over to stand by the hearth, the prisoner swiftly untied her upper garments and dropped them beside her. Chin held high, she glared into Erestor's eyes before dropping gracefully to her knees in front of the advisor. Kestrel awaited the dark haired elf's next move with no emotion showing on her features and a stillness of form that belayed her ragged emotions.

Glorfindel smiled as the gates of Imladris came into sight. He, as well as the rest of the patrol, was glad this particular adventure was over and looked forward to some well deserved rest. There was much more at stake now then at any other point since his rebirth. The Dark Lord had risen and the One Ring had been found. Attacks from the foul minions of the Dark Lord had placed all the cities of good in a precarious position. Only time would tell if the quest had been in vain, but Glorfindel held fast to the hope and faith locked deep in his heart; he believed that the Valar would not have sent him back, just for Middle-earth to be over run with evil.

The seneschal's tired mind wandered again to thoughts of the prisoner and what changes he would see in her. His thoughts had been drifting more and more to her, the closer they came to the Last Homely House and this preoccupation with the prisoner annoyed Glorfindel. After he gave his report and got cleaned up, he would seek out Erestor and ask him about their prisoner; only then, would he go talk to her himself! His musing came to an end as the patrol entered the courtyard of the Last Homely House.


	14. Chapter 14

**_Disclaimer:_** I own the giant, hideous mini-Koi, a possible spy, two bags of Fritos and JRR owns the good stuff!!

_**A/N:** _

_"This is regular speech"_

**_This in mind speech_**

**''This is visions''**

""**_This is thoughts ""_**

**_To my Lovely Readers and Reviewers: THANK YOU!! I am sorry that it has been so long since I last updated! Real life set its sight on my time and i was doing a lot of camping, then moved out of state and become engaged. I am restarting my updates and hopefully will be at least once a month, if not more. Thank you again for sticking with me and I hope you enjoy the_**

**_Night Rituals _**

Erestor stared down at the overly calm female. Her head was held high, but her eyes had become unfocused and her lips silently mouthed the ritual words of revelation. Glancing into the open area of the hearth, the advisor saw that the small iron he had placed inside the fire was white hot and ready. He was loathe to proceed, but it was the only way to breech the green magic that now concealed her master's name. Softly, the advisor began to sing an ancient song. His barely whispered words flowed over and around the prisoner; weaving a spell of magic that would shield her from the worst of the pain and promote rapid healing of the wound he was about to inflict upon the prisoner. Picking up the iron as his first song died away slowly, Erestor began to chant another spell designed to reveal her master.

The advisor turned to the waiting elleth with slightly unfocused eyes. It had been a very, very long time since his own ceremony had taken place and it took all his concentration to remember the correct wording. As Erestor's song reached its crescendo, the advisor placed the white hot iron onto the body marking over Kestrel's heart. He held the iron there for a few seconds, before moving it away and replacing it in the hearth leaving behind the scent of burned flesh. A few more minutes and he would have the answer to at least one question.

Kestrel sat still in a hazy world; somewhere between waking and reverie. The words she chanted silently, wove a protection spell around her fea. The pain was almost non existent; save for a hot, itchy feel to her skin. She could smell the stench of burning flesh, but this did not overly alarm her, for she knew she would heal quickly. The body marking ceremony had been much more painful, then this revealing ceremony and had lasted almost a fortnight, yet she had healed in less then two days after the ceremony was completed. The only fear she felt came from the knowledge, that her secret would no longer be hidden, but Kestrel took a small comfort in the knowledge, that the person who revealed her was one of her kind, and not a stranger to the ritual ways of her people.

The elleth sighed softly as the advisor's spell wrapped around her. It would boost her own natural healing ability and strengthen the healing spell she had already cast. It would be, but a few hours, before the healing would be complete and all evidence of the ritual would be wiped away. Feeling the heated iron being removed from her skin, Kestrel allowed her mind to refocus on the waking world. With a sense of hesitant curiosity, the prisoner dropped her eyes slowly towards the exposed expanse of her chest. Kestrel watched in fascination, as new markings began to appear amid the circle of the original set of body markings.

Beech leaves and vines of ivy wove a circlet that held captive an array of wildflowers. A name was written in dark scrawling letters; the name of her master appearing slowly in the circle of markings already visible. Erestor took in a sharp breath as the new markings were revealed to his sight. This was not unexpected, but to see the evidence so clearly made the advisor close his eyes in relief. This female was no spy! Reaching out a hand to Kestrel, Erestor brought her to stand beside him with a small smile. The elleth's wary gaze made him smile wider; she most definitely had the right mindset for the master she was assigned to. Closing his eyes once more, Erestor began another chant. As the words grew louder, Erestor placed his hand over the markings and pushed his thoughts towards the female.

Kestrel blinked in confused shock as she heard the darkling elf's soft, persistent voice float into her mind.**_ Young one can you hear me?_**

She knew that others of her kind could communicate in such a way, but she had never experienced it for herself. The strange tingling that shivered through her mind made her smile; the feeling was close to that of being tickled from the inside.

Kestrel acknowledged his question with a slight nod and waited for him to continue.

**_Good!, I do believe I have at least some of the answers I seek, yet there is still much more I wish to know. How long have you been a Guardian, young one? Does your position as Guardian require you to perform other duties for secrecy, as mine requires, or do you only have this one position? _**

Kestrel focused her thoughts and tried to push them towards the waiting advisor's mind. Sighing in frustration, the elleth gathered her thoughts again and repeated her attempt, but got the same reaction; nothing. Frowning in thought, the female thought back to what she had been taught about Guardian communication. The lessons were fuzzy at best, but one talk stood out in her mind. She had asked how to activate her magic and her sponsor had told her it was different for each Guardian. Each one had a special job given to them and the magic activated using something from that job; for scribes it was ink, but for warriors it was swords. She now knew what she needed to use, but wished her activation used ink instead.

Lifting her hand to her mouth, Kestrel bit into her skin viciously. Blood flowed from the bit mark and dripped quickly onto the floor in front of her. Taking the first two fingers of her other hand, the prisoner dragged them through her own blood before smearing a strip across both her forehead and then the advisors. Once the blood anointed them, Kestrel licked her wounded hand. As her saliva was introduced into the self-inflicted wound, the blood flow stopped and her skin began to heal over. Smiling grimly in satisfaction, Kestrel returned to the task at hand.

_**Can you hear me advisor?**_

A smile lit up Erestor's face at the sound of her soft voice wafting into his mind.

**_I will take that smile as a yes._** came her amused response, **_Do you know who owns this symbol? I would like to know if my master is of good or evil intent._**

**_Aye young one, I know this symbol very well indeed! It is the symbol of Thranduil, King of Mirkwood. It seems that you are one of his personal guardians; though it may be that you are but a messenger and not expected to take up arms in his protection. Many were sent in secret into the Elven realms to watch and report any activities that might be detrimental to the survival of our kind. With the shadow lingering, the Guardian council wanted to have access to all the realms without the knowledge of their rulers. I believe you might be one of them, though I may be mistaken. _**came the advisor's measured response.

A look of sadness flashed through Kestrel's eyes. The pictures she had seen during her reverie and more frequently during the light of day, belayed the hope that she was not as reprehensible as she feared. This need for blood to invoke her magic, showed her that she truly was as heartless as she thought. The elleth knew she needed to confide in someone, but she balked at revealing all to the advisor and seeing the disappointment that would surely manifest itself. Taking a calming breath, Kestrel looked the advisor in the eye and threw her thoughts at him as gently as she could, **_I am more then a messenger, this I know. I will not explain it now, as it is unclear to me just what exactly I did do for my master. When I have straightened it out in my own mind, I will speak of it with you. Please do not ask me to do so now, for I will refuse! I mean no harm to you and yours, no matter what I may turn out to be; this I promise you._**

With a slight nod of agreement, Erestor looked at the female guardian and reached out a hand to her bare shoulder in innocent comfort and understanding. Unfortunately for the advisor, the door swung open and admitted a very cheerful, and quite oblivious, Balrog Slayer into the chamber.


End file.
